Tsunami tourism in Japan
THOSE who watched in horror as Minami Soma was swept away by last year’s March 11 tsunami may soon have the opportunity to see the devastation first hand. Following the removal of the…
Tokyo Sky Tree shows off its views
SWEEPING but hazy views of Tokyo‘s skyline greeted journalists taken up the world’s tallest freestanding broadcast structure before its opening to the public next month. The 634-meter (2,080-foot) Tokyo Sky Tree is the…
Deja vu as Tokyo Sky Tree is completed
By Anna Watanabe LAST Christmas I visited my Grandmother who, although she is Australian, lived in Japan with my Grandfather for many years during the 1950s and ’60s. While rummaging through her things…
Health scare on Japan-New Zealand flight ‘just flu’
A HEALTH scare on a flight from Japan to New Zealand appears to be nothing more serious than a seasonal outbreak of influenza. About 60 passengers traveling on a flight from Tokyo to…
Destination: Tokyo, Japan
THE quintessential eastern capital, Tokyo is overwhelming, and first-time visitors expecting an Asian version of New York City are in for a surprise. There’s a kind of commercial energy and enthusiasm here that…
Park Hotel, Tokyo: Design on the 25th floor
IF you like skyscrapers you’ll love the Park Hotel sited on floors 25-34 of the Shiodome Media Tower – one of the tallest buildings in a forest of hi-rise concrete and glass in…
Getting ‘lost’ & being ‘found’: Canyoning in Japan
SPLISH, splash, zoom and dash… the sounds and feelings of getting lost and being found in the sublime surroundings of Japans backcountry river canyons, far from the rush and push of its concrete…
Nagano Japan: Made for mountain biking
ALWAYS found it strange when folks asked if there was good MTB riding in Japan…duh? For those with limited geography knowledge – or better, a desire to explore one of the world’s most…
Enjoying the world’s best powder in Japan… snow that is!
I AM an admitted addict. I have a weakness for powder. I need it. Where do I get my powder junkie fix? Wyoming? Alaska? BC? Colorado? France? While those places definitely rock, they…
The best of Kyoto, Japan
THE most evocative of Japanese cities, Kyoto conjures up images of sweeping pagoda roofs, Zen Buddhist monks in divine contemplation and serene geishas gazing from behind decorated fans. The ancient Japanese capital –…
