Kevin's Advice List

Kevin United States 14 years in Japan

From the Great Northwest in the US, now in Japan. America is my home country and Japan is my second home.

Nissan Global Headquarters

If you like cars, then the Nissan Global Headquarters in Yokohama is well worth your time to visit. Entry is free and the showroom always has a number of Nissan and sometimes, if you are lucky, they will also have some Infiniti cars on display. Access is just a few minutes walk from Yokohama stat…(167 words)

Kevin

Yokohama Visit Walk Nissan Automobiles

Travel back in time to Edo

Chiba Prefecture's Boso no Mura http://www.chiba-muse.or.jp/MURA/index.htmlThis attraction recreates life as it was, along with the scenery, from 150 years ago. You can walk around freely and experience what it is like to live in old Japan, during the Edo period. The homes have kitchens with woo…(114 words)

Kevin

Travel Tea Chiba Green tea Walk Live Edo Period

Hachiko - the famous meeting place in Shibuya

Hachiko is the famous dog who followed his master to Shibuya station everyday when he went to work, waited all day for him to return, then followed him home. One day, his master died. Hachiko still showed up everyday at the same time waiting for his master. Hachiko is buried next to his master, …(154 words)

Kevin

Shibuya Hachiko Shibuya Crossing

Shopping for little ones while in Japan

While in Japan, why not stop in one of the numerous shopping malls and find some Japan fashions for your kids? Motherways www.motherways.com is one of the most popular stores for parents to buy great fashionable clothes for children from toddlers through to 12 years old. Most clothes can be found…(135 words)

Kevin

Shopping Children Kids English Food Clothes

JR East - Japan Railway Company

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.htmlThe JR East train homepage is a great way to learn about train routes, fares and activities throughout what is known as Eastern Japan. This site: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/routemaps/index.html shows the routes that the different bullet trains take from the T…(201 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Train Summer Visit Fireworks activities Travel

Tanuki - Racoon Dogs

If you live in the suburbs of Tokyo like I do, then you might be lucky enough to have some neighborhood Tanuki! In the suburbs, there are still a number of farms and open spaces. And there is some surprising wildlife as well, such as this family of Tanuki. This Tanuki family would come by almost…(174 words)

Kevin

Tanuki Suburbs Live Lucky Park

Hydrangea's in Japan - Ajisai

Japan is a country of multiple seasons and for every season there are a different set of flowers that are blooming. At this very time of year, the Hydrangea's are blooming. In Japanese, hydrangea's are called Ajisai. You can go to virtually any park, temple or residential neighborhood and find h…(130 words)

Kevin

Hydrangea Park Tera (Temple) Flower Lavender Seasons flowers

Hama Rikyu Gardens - a beautiful park in Central Tokyo

A short walk from JR Shimbashi station (12 minutes) or either the Shiodome or Tsukiji Ichiba stations on the Toei Oedo line (7 minutes from either station), is one of the most beautiful and well kept parks in Tokyo. This park was created for the powerful Daimyo ruling class (feudal lords) during t…(126 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Park Visit Tsukiji Walk Business Tokyo Bay Edo Period Fish Shiodome

Harajuku on Sunday

Harajuku and Yoyogi Park on a Sunday. The Rockabilly Dancers dance to their own beat and it very fun watching them have fun dancing. They play a variety of 50's style Rockabilly style music, both Western and Japanese. They dance so much on the asphalt that they literally wear the soles of their …(155 words)

Kevin

Harajuku Park Visit Music Outdoor recreation Play Yoyogi Park style dance Dancing

Kamakura Daibutsu and the Beach

For a great day trip on the weekend, visiting Kamakura is a great place to visit. The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) in Kamakura is one of the most famous and well known Buddha statues in all of Japan. In fact, you can actually go inside of the statue and see what it looks like from the inside. In the …(200 words)

Kevin

Kamakura Tokyo Train Visit Trip Bus Walk Tokyo Station Buddha Statue

Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaido

Lake Shikotsu is located near Chitose in Hokkaido. This lake is the second deepest lake in Japan. The average depth is 265 meters and the deepest point is 363 meters. One interesting thing about this lake is the water temperature stays the same virtually all year long. It is also the northernmo…(125 words)

Kevin

Hokkaido Lake Lake Shikotsu Chitose Japan Wildlife Nature

Convenience stores and selection

Like the ubiquitous vending machines of Japan, convenience stores are truly convenient and just as ubiquitous. They are everywhere. And the selections they have is quite amazing for such tiny stores. Although the aisles are narrow, the lighting is very bright and the cleanliness and the stock li…(151 words)

Kevin

Convenience store Tokyo Green tea Food Business Salads

Vending Machines

Yes, Japan has vending machines. Japan has the highest concentration of vending machines per person anywhere in the world. Supposedly there are approximately 1 vending machine for every 23 people. I don't know if this number is true or not, but you certainly won't go far, whether in the big city…(273 words)

Kevin

Vending Machines Tea Subway Food Bic Camera banana Tokyo

Hakkeijima Sea Paradise

Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is just south of Yokohama. This is a great place to spend the day for the whole family. Multiple aquariums with hundreds of varieties of sea life. Total number of sea life is well over 100,000. From sea turtles to penguins and numerous other attractions you may be surpri…(89 words)

Kevin

Yokohama Sea English May Hakkeijima Sea Paradise

Sunsets in Japan

As Japan is an island nation, if one enjoys sunsets and I think pretty much everyone loves sunsets, then this island nation of Japan has coastlines galore. Take a break from the big city, take a train or drive to the coast, take some photographs with your family and friends. These particular phot…(74 words)

Kevin

Sasebo Trip Kyushu Sunsets Hakkeijima Sea Paradise Train City Sea

Huis ten Bosch

Ever have a hankering to visit the Netherlands? Well, if you live in Asia, you don't have to fly all the way to Europe. You can come to Sasebo and visit Huis ten Bosch theme park. It is a complete resort with hotels and numerous attractions.Your entire family will enjoy a visit to Huis ten B…(145 words)

Kevin

Huis Ten Bosch Park Visit Museum English Flower Amusement park Live architecture Sasebo

Sasebo Hamburgers

When one thinks of hamburgers, you usually think of the good old USA. However, if there's one thing Japan is good at, it is taking ideas, things and even foods from other countries, putting their own spin on it and making it uniquely Japanese.While I was visiting Huis ten Bosch in Sasebo, I tr…(159 words)

Kevin

Sasebo Hamburger Huis Ten Bosch Visit

Sasebo

Sasebo is located in Kyushu, in Nagasaki Prefecture. Sasebo is a very scenic city with a large natural sea port. There are 208 islands near Sasebo and there are many boat tours available. There are many wonderful views you will be able to capture during your trip to Sasebo.Sasebo is a touris…(112 words)

Kevin

Sasebo City Trip Visit Sea Castle Kyushu Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch

Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle is located in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. The castle was built originally in 1467.I have visited many castles in Japan and this is my favorite. The curved stone walls are known as musha-gaeshi, which were built with wooden overhangs. These were purpose built to fortif…(109 words)

Kevin

Castle Kumamoto Kumamoto Castle City Children Himeji Castle Matsumoto Castle

Tonkotsu Ramen at Kokutei Ramen

For authentic Tonkotsu ramen, go to Kumamoto. Not only is Kumamoto a beautiful city with street trolleys and wonderful sightseeing, but they are famous for Kumamoto style, Tonkotsu ramen. Tonkostu ramen is a pork bone based ramen noodle soup. The noodles are thick, firm and a include garlic flav…(255 words)

Kevin

Ramen noodles Tonkotsu City Restaurant Miso Kumamoto Soy sauce

Huis Ten Bosch - The Netherlands in Japan

Huis Ten Bosch - Believe it or not, you can experience Holland in Japan. This is a theme park located in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture in Kyushu. An entire town has been built to scale and hotels are there too. There are activities for the whole family, from a maze for young and old to exper…(97 words)

Kevin

City Park Amusement park Kyushu Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch

Edo Tokyo Museum/Edo Tokyo Hakubutsukan

If you are really interested in Japan culture and the way things used to be and how people lived in Tokyo, then you must put this on your list of places to visit while in Tokyo. You will find original and replicated exhibits which are built to scale. You will see models painstakingly built to sca…(160 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Museum Visit History Samurai English

Tokyo Doitsu Mura

I never have figured out why places, that are clearly not in Tokyo, are still designated as "Tokyo" something or other. Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea are in Chiba folks, not Tokyo. That being said, Tokyo Doitsu Mura or German Village (in the middle of Chiba Prefecture) is the best place to visi…(153 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Sea Bus Chiba Tokyo Disneyland Trip Christmas

St. Paul International Lutheran Church

Please come to our small and close knit congregation for Christmas service. http://www.spilchurchtokyo.org/ChristmasWe are located near Iidabashi station in the center of Tokyo. Many lines intersect here:JR Sobu lineTokyo Metro Namboku lineTokyo Metro Tozai lineTokyo Metro Yurakucho l…(213 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Shinjuku Music Christmas

La Boheme Italian restaurant

When people think of Japan, they usually don't think of Japan for Italian food. However, I have found that Tokyo has excellent Italian food at reasonable prices. La Boheme is one Italian restaurant chain that you can always count on for great food and excellent service. From pizza to pasta and b…(63 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Restaurant

Enjoy the unique recipe for bikkuri donkey in Minami Gyotoku Tokyo, Japan. A certain hit for your travel cuisine!

This restaurant has a look of something out of the Old West from the outside - old rusty metal and weathered wood patched together awkwardly, however it is done purposely and artfully. The look, is something you might expect at Disneyland. Don't let the looks fool you, it is one of the better and…(234 words)

Kevin

Beer Hamburger steak Mayonnaise Restaurant Soy sauce Spaghetti Tokyo

Kamogawa, Chiba

I recommend visiting Kamogawa, Chiba. The station name is Awa-Kamogawa and it's about 2 hours from Tokyo on JR. Nice family safe beaches a short walk from the hotels or traditional Japanese ryokans. If you're interested in surfing, the surfers are there from daybreak to sunset. Surfing rentals …(67 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Event Sea Beaches Chiba

Makuhari Garden Walk

Makuhari Garden Walk is right next to Kaihin Makuhari station. This is a great outlet mall with numerous shops from brand name fashion for handbags to sporting goods. Also, Costco is nearby as well, although visiting Costco is best by car. Two stations before Kaihin Makuhari is Minami Funabashi s…(64 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Shopping Fashion

Street performers in Yoyogi Park

I visited Yoyogi Park in Tokyo near Harajuku station recently on a Sunday. As I walked through the park, there were numerous street performers. One of my favorites are the street rockers. They dress in black jeans and 50's style with Elvis style hair and ducktail haircuts. They dance to rockabi…(73 words)

Kevin

Tokyo Park Music Harajuku Hair Yoyogi Park

Narita

Narita City also has one of Japan's largest and most visited temples called Narita-san. This is a short walk from either Keisei Narita station or JR Narita station. On your way to the station, you will walk along Omotesando street, a street that brings you back to old Japan. Many traditional ven…(83 words)

Kevin

City Tokyo

Church services in English

St. Paul International Lutheran Church near Iidabashi station in Tokyo has English services and Sunday School for children too. Friendly people and services just like back home, you will find many nationalities and Japanese who attend regularly. Communion is held every Sunday. You can find infor…(52 words)

Kevin

Tokyo