Our first week in Kyoto included many excursions, which included three castles. In order, they were Nijo castle, Osaka castle and Himeji castle. All three castles are essentially now museums, where each castle has been repurposed to showcase the inside of each castle and the history behind it. Nijo castle was the least grand out …
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Hallyu Wave in Japan
Korea’s Hallyu Wave has spread all over the world, especially in South East Asia. This is no coincidence and is part of the Korean’s government attempt to deploy their own soft power. As such, it is no surprise that K-pop has grown to be part of Japanese popular culture in current times. \This was evident …
Tsukiji Trip
While the actual Tsukiji Fish Market, famous for its tuna auctions early in the morning, may have moved to its new location in Toyosu, much of the Tsukiji outer market still exists and they continue to receive many visits from locals and tourists alike in order to experience Japanese food culture and specifically their fish-eating …
Edo-Tokyo Museum, Family Friendly or Is There More?
Yesterday was my first time visiting the Edo-Tokyo museum and it was an interesting experience for sure. The moment I got off the train station, the first thing I saw was the museum itself, which I thought looked like something out of an old sci-fi movie. Inside the museum, we had to cross a replica …
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Appealing to Teenage Girls in Harajuku
Yesterday, I spent most of my morning exploring youth culture in Harajuku. Upon leaving the exit of Harajuku station, I was immediately greeted with the loud, bustling entrance of Takeshita Street and it didn’t take long to notice how stores had multiple methods to attract their target audience of teenage girls in this 400-meter-long street. …
Mascots, why are there so many of them?
One of the first things people start to notice after spending a few days in Japan is the number of mascots and characters we see or are exposed to on a daily basis. While some of these mascots may seem like they are just for show, all of them have their own purpose and these …
Mike in Japan 