Zara's Advice List

Zara Japan 37 years in Japan

Certified tour guide of Japan, and Tokyo private tour organizer, specialized in less-known places in Tokyo and its vicinity;
http://hiddengem.tokyo

Love to travel ....visited more than 30 countries around the world.. both business and private.
Love to fly ....used more than 50 airlines so far....
Love to ride ....horses and bike
Love to drink .... craft beers and wines.
Love to speak .....English, Spanish and some German.
Love to sleep.....;-)

Samurai battlefield spectacle -tradition over 1000 years -

Soma-nomaoi (literally means wild horse chase in Soma) is a traditional Shinto ritual and local festival in Soma City, held every July for three days, its history over 1000 years Originally developed as a military training and now it's widely known as the biggest samurai on horse festival i…(722 words)

Zara

Samurai tradition Fukushima Horse festival Event Tokyo TCK Horse racing

1920's Japanese life style house

I visited a museum near where I live....retaining the old lifestyle from 1920s. http://www.showanokurashi.com/Even for me who was born and grew up in Japan, it was quite interesting....when I visited there, a volunteer interpreter who knows the people lived there, was willing to share his …(307 words)

Zara

style Japanese Tokyo Building Japan Summer Museum Dinner Traditional Dining

Maid Cafe experience

Take a sneak peek at Maid Cafe --- yes, I've been curious but not motivated enough much so far.But as a professional Tokyo tour guide, I needed to have the experience before I take guests there. So I went with seven other guide friends.There are tons of maid cafes in Akihabara, different co…(363 words)

Zara

Maid Cafe Tokyo Akihabara Play Drink English Kawaii

Three things to complete your Kawagoe day trip

Visiting the religious place is sometimes hard.... especially that religion is not of yours and not easy to understand. And also for children.I visited too many temples and shrines in my life. So even I feel get confused of them unless I mean to visit there on purpose. However....these place…(337 words)

Zara

day trip Kawagoe Trip Tokyo Visit Food Shopping Tera (Temple) Jinjya (Shrine) Edo Period

The world famous tuna auction that they're talking about

Every morning (except for Sundays/Holidays and some Wednesdays) the tuna auction is held throughout the year at Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world. Tuna is a big red meat fish, the biggest can weight 400kg, almost as same as horses, probably the most popular sushi menu in the world, …(570 words)

Zara

Visit Sushi Fish Market Tsukiji

Deep crawl at night in Shinjuku - Golden Gai(District)

Which is the best place to visit in Tokyo at night?To experience the local and enjoy the talk with the locals?Well, one has his/her own interest so does other. And Tokyo has so many options to offer. So it's not easy to pick only one.But this is for you who might be looking for some ol…(294 words)

Zara

Shinjuku Golden Gai Drink Tokyo Visit Japan Izakaya Kabuki bars

Tallest Budha in Japan, horses, beer and more

Did you know that Budha statue in Kamakura or Nara can't compete with the one in Ushiku for its height?Not famous at all or even no chance of world heritage because of its young history compared to the ones in Kamakura or Nara but truly it's the tallest one in Japan.So it's definitely a sight t…(469 words)

Zara

Horse racing horseback riding Buddha Ibaraki Beer winery outlet mall Brewery Tokyo Train

Horseback riding on the beach

Summer is around the corner and the temperature is rising day by day.Time for us to plan our summer vacation. (maybe already done?)Japan is a mountain country surrounded by sea...so we can reach both mountains and beaches easily. Either way is good to escape the summer heat.This time I ch…(298 words)

Zara

horseback riding Beaches Chiba Outdoor recreation Tokyo Sea Train Summer Kids

Fish market for lazy birds - part1

Early bird catches the worm.... and maybe fish, too...Since I'm not an early bird in the mornings, I always give up going to Tsukiji fish market and where the famous tuna auction is held ......super early in the morning.Also the tourist cannot just show up and see them anymore. You need …(308 words)

Zara

Fish Market Sashimi (Raw fish) Sushi Train Lunch Kawagoe Tokyo

100 steps to heaven in the metropolis

There are some great Japanese gardens in central Tokyo.Imperial Palace, Shinjuku Gyoen, Rikugien, Hamarikyu, Koishikawa....These are located within central Tokyo, surrounded by skyscrapers and highways, so they also serve as 'oasis' in the metropolis, for the business people to breathe fresh a…(310 words)

Zara

Garden architecture Art Beauty Hotel History Visit

Sanja Matsuri/Festival in Asakusa - Summary and report

Of all the festivals in Asakusa year around, Sanja Matsuri Festival should be the most famous and the biggest one. If you have a chance, I encourage you to make a plan to see it once, referring to this and other sempai posts listed below. 1-2-3 basics;Sanja matsuri festival is held every y…(567 words)

Zara

Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Festival Jinjya (Shrine) Japanese festivals Tokyo portable shrine omikoshi

Horseback riding at the foot of Mt Fuji

What's your plan for the next weekend ?If not decided, how about horseback riding ?No, it's not that difficult nor scary experience at all as you might imagine.They can even take the first time riders out for trekking on horses!After learning basic control, how to go forward, turn left or…(289 words)

Zara

Nature horseback riding Mount Fuji Tokyo Train Kids Lake Kawaguchi