Category Archives: Quirky Japan

20 Hours In Oita: A Samurai District, An Iconic Tower, Modern Architecture, A Taste of America & A Few Quirky Sights!

Of the 47 prefectures in Japan I have now been to 41 of them with the most recent new addition being Oita in the north-eastern part of Kyushu; Japan’s most southerly main island. I’m sure I’ll vist them all eventually … Continue reading

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3 Buildings In Japan That Look Like Trains

There are a great number of train fanatics in Japan who have a passion for all kinds of things whether it be stations, platforms, rails, signs, sounds, ekiben (regional lunchbox sets sold at stations) or just the trains themselves. As … Continue reading

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Unstaffed Stations Of Japan #19 – Igaya

Think of train stations in Japan and the mighty Shinjuku station is sure to come to mind for many people. That is the world’s busiest train station, and Japan monopolises the top 50 list with only five of them not in … Continue reading

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The Train Station Designed To Resemble Japan’s Most Famous Folkloric Creature!

With a yellow beak like that I first thought this quirky station building in Japan was designed to look like a duck or maybe a penguin but it seems my powers of observation on this occasion were wide of the … Continue reading

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Countdown to Christmas 2024 in Tokyo

It was always going to be impossible to equal the feeling of having my eldest sister and her family with us as was the case last Christmas. From one extreme to the other as this year my wife was at … Continue reading

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5 Nights In Hiroshima: A Local Retro Game Centre, Japan’s Newest Top Flight Football Stadium, A Great Value Meal, Live Baseball, A Splendid Waterfall, A Hidden Pop-Culture Cafe & Quality Family Time!

The number of times I’ve now visited Hiroshima is something I’ve long lost count of but I do know that this was actually our first trip in the summer time for seven years! With my wife working that day in … Continue reading

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Step Back In Time For A Taste Of Nostalgia At This Local Game Centre

There’s something about nostalgia that many people have a great love and affection for, and there are of course lots of museums dedicated to preserving such important periods in a country’s history. This place certainly seems like a relic of … Continue reading

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Rugby Fans Should “Try” & Visit This Themed Shrine In Kyoto!

It’s been an incredible rise in fortunes for the Japanese men’s national rugby team over the last decade or so with the pinnacle being at the World Cup they hosted five years ago.  However, the last few years have seen … Continue reading

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USA Is Actually Closer To Tokyo Than You May Think!

The closest mainland American city to Tokyo is Los Angeles at just under 9000 kilometres away but USA is actually much closer to Tokyo than you may think! In fact it is ten times closer to the Japanese capital city … Continue reading

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The Traditional Japanese Hybrid Sport You Didn’t Know About!

There is an ever growing number of hybrid sports out there such as chess-boxing, cycle ball, foot golf, pickleball and slamball. Some of them sound pretty cool and interesting whilst others just seem totally bizarre and ridiculous. As for a … Continue reading

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