RUTHER'S ROOM

Some may think of winter as a gloomy time of year when it’s time to hunker down and stay indoors. Others embrace winter as a time to enjoy w...

You’re never too far from a cartoon character in Japan. Animated characters promote everything from baby food to the police. This year there...

New Year’s, or oshogatsu, is the largest and most important holiday in Japan. There are a multitude of customs and traditions both old and n...

Being one of the world’s largest industrial economies means that you’re always going to have to deal with one of the world’s largest amounts...

One thing you have to be aware of upon visiting Japan is earthquakes. Nowhere in Japan is safe from seismic activity. The entire country its...

What’s the most important part of taking a trip? Is it the sights and attractions? Local festivals and events? Unique cuisine? Indeed, all a...

It may not be at the fore of the Lonely Planet guide to Japan but each year many train buffs come to Japan to experience the country’s state...

It’s around this time of year that those of us from “western” countries tend to start thinking of holidays and how we are going to spend the...

The holiday season is almost here. Despite not celebrating Christmas (at least not as many in the west know it), from the amount of Christma...

It’s hard to find a person anywhere who doesn’t like animals. Naturally, it’s the same scenario in Japan. In the English speaking world we t...