skiing
When you need to get in out of the cold, Pikachu and his pals are waiting for you with tabletop trick art opportunities.
Family-run Nagano inn that’s been in business for more than 50 years has a very modern, very cool amenity.
This incredible promotion lets you ski all day for free, in a powder snow paradise just a few hours away from Tokyo Station.
Ask anyone in Japan if they love the shinkansen, and they’ll probably say yes. Commonly known as the bullet train, it’s convenient, handsomely designed, and the train’s aerodynamic nose is surprisingly an artisanal masterpiece, carefully formed by hand out of numerous metal plates in order to achieve the perfect curves.
Becoming a conductor of one is a typical kindergarten dream, and while a lot of kids grow out of that phase, some emerge as bona fide train fanatics who go by many monikers: tetsu-ota, tetchan, tetsu-kichi (as in “crazy”), you name it. Unfortunately, travel by shinkansen may be fast and luxurious, but it’s generally not cheap—for example, a three-hour one-way ride from Tokyo to Ōsaka can cost around 14,300 yen (US $140).
So what’s this about a 240-yen ticket in Nīgata Prefecture that has train enthusiasts all abuzz? A seasonal train station that’s actually part of a ski resort? A place called “Cowabunga” 125 miles north of Tokyo? Let comedian and self-declared train otaku, Ayako Suzukawa, be your guide today!
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The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
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Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
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Monthly
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Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
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Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
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Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
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Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
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Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
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War in Iran threatening Japan’s pudding production
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