The Japanese Ski Season – When, Where and Why?

Photo by jasohill on Flickr

The ski season stretches from as early as mid-November, to as late as May, but going at either end of the season means only a few runs are open with man-made snow. Lower altitude ski fields only last from around December to March. Japan is renowned for its thick powder, and so if you’re going to bother making the trip for skiing, you will want to go when it’s at it’s best, so when is that?

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Must-See Non-Tourist Attractions in Japan

Photo by scion_cho on Flickr

Any time you visit another country, you’re going to find yourself out of your element. Because of that, you are somewhat at the mercy of others to give you the information you need to get around and have a good time. Whether you’re looking for food, lodgings, or entertainment, you’ll have to rely on guidebooks, tour guides, locals, the concierge, and more experienced travelers to tell you where to go and what to see. But what will likely end up happening is that you will get funneled to a slew of tourist traps that are crowded with foreigners like yourself and populated with vendors selling overpriced goods.

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Skiing in Niseko Japan

Photo by TimmyWorld on Flickr

Skiing is an adventure sport and for a skiing fan the best thing in the world is a skiing resort full of excitement and adventure.
Niseko is a skiing resort located in the northern part of Japan. Niseko is situated in the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. It is considered as one of the most popular skiing resorts in Asia. It is also among some of the snowiest skiing resorts in the world.

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A Stroll Through Nijo Castle

Photo by MD111 on Flickr

Nijo Castle (Kyoto) is definitely one of the top castles in Japan. Chances are, if you’re going to Japan, a visit to Kyoto will be on the agenda. And a visit to Kyoto would not be complete without a tour through the Shogun’s famous Nijo Castle.

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Spring in Japan

Photo by jasohill on Flickr

March to May brings on the spring season in Japan (be sure to check out our post on winter in Japan). With the weather starting to warm up and the flowers and trees starting to blossom and bud, spring in Japan is a photographers dream come true.

Here’s our rundown on things to do in Japan in spring and some outstanding spring photographs from Flickr.

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Top 5 Hiking Trails in Japan

Photo by -just-jen- on Flickr

While my early mountain hikes more closely resembled death marches than something actually enjoyable, recently I’ve started to find a lot more pleasure in overnight hiking trips. So I was particularly interested when Stacey sent me this link to a BBC article on Japan’s top five hiking spots.

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Things to do in Osaka – The Instant Ramen Museum

Photo by JanneM on Flickr

Stacey loves her ramen. I on the other hand, do not. During week long hiking trips of my youth I feasted on little more than instant porridge in the morning and instant ramen for lunch and dinner. By the seventh day I had instant ramen coming out my ears and I had developed a strong loathing for the stuff.

Can you imagine my excitement when Stacey suggested we visit the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka?

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Shooting Osaka, Japan: Photography Examples and Tips

Just wanted to let you know that one of my photography articles about Japan was posted over at PhotoTuts. It’s a quick look at Osaka and what top spots there are for photographers. I’m hoping to do one for Tokyo as well. I’ll keep you posted :)

Winter in Japan

December to February brings on the winter season in Japan. From skiing to snow sculpture building, Japan has a ton of winter activities to enjoy (also check out our post on what to do in Japan in spring).

Here’s our rundown on things to do in Japan in winter and some outstanding winter photographs from Flickr.

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Takarazuka Revue – The All Female Japanese Theater

It wasn’t too long ago that it was unheard of to find woman actually playing female roles in Japanese theater. Much like Shakespeare, female parts in Noh dramas and Kabuki were always played by men dressed as women, which today would seem kind of strange.

In 1914, however, the trend did a 180 with the establishment of the first ever women only theater group – the Takarazuke Revue.

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