Gamer’s Heaven

It’s common knowledge that Japan is at the forefront of the gaming world. Brands such as Nintendo and Sega are known all over the world. Ever since Nintendo released its first game Donkey Kong in 1981, video games and their associated characters and sub-cultures have been an integral part of Japan’s economy and modern identity.

The video game industry is so deeply-rooted in Japan’s post-war image that certain locations in Japan are even defined by it. Take Akihabara for instance. Of course you can buy all manner of electrical goods in Akihabara, but the town is considered a Mecca for gamers worldwide. On the release day of a new game or game console, huge lines forming on the streets of Akihabara is a common scene. However, it’s not just new games and hardware that Akihabara is famous for. Fans of retro games from the 1970’s and 80’s often scour Akihabara for popular games and game consoles of that era. The town has dozens of such stores dotted along its back-alleys. Then there’s the entire back-catalog of action figures, collectible cards and so on based on popular game characters themselves; a thriving industry in itself.

About a thirty minute train ride from Akihabara is Odaiba. Here the gaming giant Sega has created the theme-park “Joypolis.” Joypolis is filled with new and classic Sega games and characters. The company’s flagship character, “Sonic the hedgehog”, and his supporting cast are plastered on every wall.

True game freaks make a trip to the annual Tokyo Games Show though. Each September the giants of the Japanese gaming industry assemble on Makuhari-Messe just outside Tokyo to showcase their latest developments. It’s considered one of the most important gaming events in the world. Execs and fans from around the world come to the Tokyo Games Show to see what Japanese gaming companies will unleash in the year to come. This year 3-D gaming devices are the buzz of the industry. The industry’s major players, Nintendo and Sony, are all releasing 3-D consoles next year.

One thing’s for sure. Japan is a gamers’ paradise. Whether you’re a casual player, or a hard-core gamer, exploring the history and locales of the gaming industry in Japan is great fun.

Boy's Bands&Girl's Bands

Outside the USA, Japan has the next largest music industry in the world. It’s no wonder then, that the Japanese music business is a colorful array of genres and characters. Rock, pop, hip-hop, visual-rock and Enka are just a few of the many musical styles that thrive in Japan. Perhaps the most successful, or rather the best-selling artists in Japan though are the boy’s and girl’s bands.

At any given time it seems as though there are always two or three incredibly popular boy and girl bands in Japan. Right now the most popular boy’s band appears to be “Arashi.” You can’t go anywhere in Japan without seeing all or one of their members promoting a product or starring in an upcoming TV show. The female equivalent of Arashi would have to be “AKB48.” AKB48 is no ordinary girl’s band though. They are more of a team of 48 teenage girls who regularly compete to be the leading representatives on the group’s music singles, music-videos and TV appearances. Between them, Arashi and AKB48 dominate the TV, radio and TV commercial air time. They are almost industries in themselves.

The idea of cult-like boy’s and girl’s bands is nothing new in Japan. Years ago “Morning Musume” were the female super group that dominated the charts and media of Japan. Though not as large in numbers as AKB48, the band held regularly auditions for new talent. Many former Morning Musume stars have furthered their careers in the entertainment industry. On the other hand popular boy bands of the past probably never became bigger than SMAP. SMAP was formed by the music industry giant “Johnny’s Entertainment” (the same agency that manage Arashi) in the early 1990’s, and have been one of the most succesful bands in the history of Japan’s music industry. Musically they are somewhat quiet these days, but on TV and film, the members of SMAP are still going very strong. Turn on the TV and you’ll still see a SMAP member promoting a product or acting in a drama.

Who knows who the next big band will be? For now the teeny-boppers of Japan seem to be engrossed in the movements of Arashi and AKB48. It seems as though they’ll be around for at least another year or two at least. If SMAP is anything to go by, they could continue well into the future.

A Touch of the South Pacific

Each year thousands of Japanese holidaymakers head to island resort locales such as Guam, Saipan and Hawaii. These three locations account for the bulk of Japanese travel overseas. Like anyone else, people just want to get away from it all and soak up some rays on an idyllic sun-drenched beach. Places like Guam and Saipan are only a three hour flight from Japan and are relatively cheap to get to. In these tough economic times however, even cheap package tours to Guam can be out of reach for tired workers in need of a getaway. Luckily Japan has no shortage of seaside resorts towns of its own. One such resort area is only two hours away from central Tokyo by local train.

Situated on the upper half of the Izu peninsula lies the town of Atami. It’s long been a popular spot for residents of the greater Tokyo area and when a shinkansen (bullet-train) station was added there, even more people came. The town is nestled between steep forest-clad hills and a beautiful harbor. Beautiful yellow-sanded beaches are also dotted along the town’s coastline.

During the days of Japan’s bubble-economy period dozens of huge condominium complexes were built along the hillsides overlooking Atami. These days a few condominium buildings have been closed down but most still stand and are available at prices vastly cheaper than those of when they first opened. Some are even available for reasonable nightly rates. Most hillside hotels and condominiums command a spectacular view of the harbor and town.

Just across from Atami lies the island of Hatsushima. A ferry leaves for Hatsushima every hour. It’s a pleasant twenty minute journey. Once on the island you can enjoy the abundant local seafood, visit the resorts, or just take a walk around the island’s circumference. It only takes an hour or so. The more adventurous may want to take a boat out to the larger island known as Oshima which is famous for its hot-springs and wildlife.

The entire Izu peninsula in summer is somewhat sub-tropical in appearance. It really is hard to believe that you are only an hour or two away from Tokyo. With such a location within easy reach, you’d have to wonder why people would want to spend their time and hard-earned money flying to Guam or Saipan.

Healthy Eating - Japanese Style

When you think of Japanese food, the first thing that comes to mind is probably sushi, or maybe even sashimi. With Japanese cuisine becoming more and more popular around the world, more people come to Japan to try the local delicacies, or at least to explore the wonders of Japanese food.

It is widely known that the Japanese diet is one of the healthiest in the world. Rates of heart disease and obesity are among the lowest in the world while life expectancy is the highest. A lot of this is attributed to the properties of the food. For example, miso soup is a common staple of Japanese food. Fermented foods such as miso have been shown to contain essential properties that, among other functions, aid digestion and slow down the visible traits of aging. Other popular fermented Japanese foods include: tofu, natto (fermented soy beans) and tsukemono (pickles).

One other possible benefit of the Japanese diet is in regard to mental health. A recent study undertaken at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo concluded that eating a traditional diet of fish, rice, seaweed and a variety of fermented dishes may decrease the likelihood of depression. While other diets tested in the study weren’t considered to be depressive, they did find the diet of Japanese dishes to be somewhat less depressive.

Next time you take a bite of some sashimi or a bowl of natto, you’re not just doing your body a favor but you’re possibly doing your mind a world of good as well.

Sports in Japan

Just like other facets of contemporary Japanese culture, the sports scene in Japan is an interesting blend of both domestic and international games and activities.

Although soccer has been increasing in popularity in recent years, the most popular and commercial sport in Japan today is probably baseball. Baseball is typically known as yakyuu in Japan. The term literally means “field ball”. It dates back to the 1870's when the game was introduced by an American English professor. By 1920 the first professional baseball league had started in Japan, and from then on it quickly became a national past-time. High-school tournaments, such as the one held in Koshien annually, have become iconic. Many teen-aged Koshien participants have gone on to become professional baseball players in Japan and the USA.


As mentioned earlier, soccer is also a very important sport in Japan. Soccer was first introduced to Japan around the same time as baseball. Despite being a hugely popular international game, the sport never gained much interest in Japan until the 1960's when Japan won an Olympic bronze medal for soccer. Since then soccer’s popularity rapidly increased, leading to the formation of professional “J-League" in the early 1990’s. In 1998 Japan made its first appearance at the soccer World Cup finals. The team didn’t win a game but its appearance at the tournament was seen as a sign that soccer was now a major sport in Japan. Interest in the game peaked in 2002 with Japan co-hosting the World Cup with Korea. Earlier this year Japan recorded their first ever victory in a World Cup tournament.


Traditional Japanese sports are still very important. The most popular Japanese sport by far is sumo. Sumo is hundreds of years old and today the sport is fully professional with approximately 700 registered professional sumo wrestlers affiliated with 54 stables. The sport is administered by the Japan Sumo Association. The top-most sumo division receives a great number of spectators both on television and at the match with the highest ranking yokozuna receiving great prestige and financial reward. Sumo traces its origin to ancient Mongolia where wrestling had been a hugely popular sport for thousands of years. As a result the sumo leagues of Japan feature a number of Mongolian wrestlers. The most famous being the recent yokozuna, Asashoryu and Hakuho.

Of course there are many more sports to watch and participate in Japan. Here we have only touched on the top three. Joining a club or a team is an important part of Japanese culture. Consequently, sports thrive in Japan. Team members and supporters are incredibly organized in their chants and cheers for their teams. If you can’t join a Japanese sports team, being a spectator is also a great experience.

School’s out!

With the school summer vacations almost over, students of all ages across Japan are gearing up for the start of another school term. But there’s still some vacation time left.

Summer vacation for schools and universities in Japan usually commences right after the national holiday known as “Marine Day” in mid July. During this period it’s not uncommon for Japanese junior high and high school students to go on overseas exchange trips. Popular destinations for these school trips include New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Hawaii. Students often return from their trips more tanned, heavier and sometimes more proficient in English.

One thing that may differ from school vacations in other countries is that Japanese school students may actually spend a lot of their summer vacation in school anyway. Term may have ended but extracurricular clubs go on. In fact, with studies out of the way, many after school club teachers see the summer vacation as a good opportunity for tournaments and extra practice. Busy parents are also appreciative of the school club schedule.

But what if there are no exchange trip or club activities? No need to worry because there is always juku. A juku is basically an after-school school. During the summer vacation, many jukus thrive. The emphasis on education and getting into the right school is intense in Japan. As a result jukus do a lot of business in the summer. Extra study classes in your summer vacation may sound like a chore, but believe it or not, some students actually want to go to juku. If many of your friends will attend juku, then it suddenly becomes a more interesting prospect.

By the time September rolls around and it’s time to go back to school, a lot of students may be all studied/activated out. But kids will be kids and it’s questionable whether they actually finished all their homework and studies over the break at all. Luckily there are a string of holidays in September and October to catch up anyway.

Sports in Japan

Just like other facets of contemporary Japanese culture, the sports scene in Japan is an interesting blend of games and activities from both Japan and overseas.

Probably the largest spectator and commercial sport in Japan today is baseball though in recent years soccer has been increasing in popularity. Baseball is typically known as yakyuu in Japan. The term literally means “field ball.” It was a term coined when the game was introduced by an American English professor in the 1870’s. By 1920 the first professional baseball league had started in Japan and from then on it quickly became a national past-time. High-school tournaments, such as the one held in Koshien each year, have become iconic. Many teen-aged Koshien participants have gone on to become professionals in Japan and the USA.

As mentioned earlier soccer is also a very important sport in Japan. Soccer was first introduced to Japan around the same time as baseball. Despite being a hugely popular international game, the sport never really gained a lot of interest in Japan until the 1960s when Japan won an Olympic bronze medal in the sport. Since then soccer’s popularity has snowballed until in the early 1990’s the professional “J-League” was formed. In 1998 Japan made its first appearance at the soccer world cup finals. The team didn’t win a game but its appearance at the tournament was seen as a huge sign that soccer was now a major sport in Japan. Interest in the game peaked in 2002 with Japan co-hosting the world cup with Korea. Earlier this year Japan recorded their first ever victory in a world cup tournament.

Traditional Japanese sports are still very important. The most popular Japanese sport by far is sumo. Sumo is hundreds of years old and today the sport is fully professional with approximately 700 registered professional sumo wrestlers affiliated with 54 stables. The sport is administered by the Japan Sumo Association. The top-most sumo division receives a huge live and television audience with the highest ranking yokozuna receiving great prestige and financial reward. Sumo can trace its origins to ancient Mongolia where wrestling has been a hugely popular sport for thousands of years. As a result the sumo leagues of Japan feature a number of Mongolian wrestlers. The most famous of whom being recent yokozuna Asashoryu and Hakuho.

Of course there are many more sports to watch and take part in in Japan. Here we’ve only touched on the top three. Joining a club or team is an important part of Japanese culture. Consequently, sports thrive in Japan. Team members and supporters are incredibly organized in their chants and cheers for their teams. If you can’t join a Japanese sports team, being a spectator is also a great experience.

Say Cheese!

If you are asked to think of stereotypical Japanese pursuits, you’d probably think of karate, origami, ikebana and so on. I’m sure though that I’m not the only one who thinks of photography. Japanese manufacturers are recognized to be some of the best producers of cameras and photography equipment in the world.

During the 1970’s and 80’s, when the Japanese economy was booming, it was quite common to see busloads of Japanese tourists in popular vacation spots around the world. One of the hallmarks of these tourists was their penchant for photography. Being home to companies like Canon, Fuji and Olympus meant that these tourists were always well equipped with the very latest cameras and technology.

These days the Japanese economy may not be what it once was, but the photography business is still big in Japan. If you’re a photographer of any level of proficiency, Japan is a must visit. Cameras and equipment abound in places like Akihabara, but you don’t have to go to Akihabara for the best deals. Most Japanese electronics stores carry a full range of cameras and camera equipment. The west exit of Shinjuku station is also famous for it’s mini camera district.

Photography in Japan isn’t just about camera shopping and technology. You will meet some of the most patient and dedicated amateur photographers here. Every weekend you will see keen photographers setting up their gear on train platforms waiting for a good shot, or even travelling miles into the countryside to secure a prime spot for the perfect sunrise or sunset. Visitors to Japan can be seen with camera in hand snapping such popular sights as: Shibuya crossing, Mt Fuji, Tokyo Tower and believe it or not, according to a recent survey, automated parking towers.

If you just want a cheap new digital camera or the latest SLR, Japan is the place for you. While you’re here you can test out that new camera on the many interesting sights and attractions Japan has to offer.

All you can eat........and drink!

Perhaps it’s the fact Japan has been in an economic downturn for almost twenty years
now, or maybe it’s because Japanese people love to eat, drink and be merry, but there can be no mistake that affordable "all you can eat and drink" plans are extremely popular in Japan.

Tabehoudai (all you can eat) and nomihoudai (all you can drink) are the virtual
cornerstone of partying in Japan. Space is always at a premium in Japan so house
parties are almost non-existent. The result is that most Japanese people like to party it up in an izakaya (a Japanese style bar) or restaurant.
Izakayas and restaurants are everywhere in Japan and competition for customers is intense. As a result many izakayas offer affordable "all you can eat and drink" plans.

Such plans usually adhere to a strict time limit of two hours. During this time it’s as the name suggests; all you can eat and drink inside these two hours. Keep this time limit in mind as the time limit is usually very strict.
Staff will alert you twenty minutes beforehand so you can make last orders.

Most plans typically start at prices of two thousand yen per person for a simple
nomihoudai. A lot of izakayas have plans of three thousand yen per head for "all you
can eat and drink". Of course, these are the cheapest examples and it can sometimes be a case of “you get what you pay for", especially in large chain izakayas. For the
most part though these plans have decent quality. In more recent times, the "all you
can eat or drink" phenomenon has spread to certain restaurants too, most of which are yaki-niku (barbecue style) restaurants.

The old assumption of Japan being an expensive place to visit is not so true as it
once was.
Nomihoudai and tabehoudai are part of the culture and are only becoming more and more common in the current global economic climate.
Eating and drinking in Japan couldn’t be cheaper or easier as it is today.

All the Flavors Under the Sun

If you’ve ever stepped into a Japanese supermarket or convenience store, you would have noticed the vast display of drinks and confectionery. In fact, some of my favorite souvenir items I like to purchase for friends and family back home are snacks and confectionery. They are not only cheap and delicious, but incredibly varied.

Even a short stay in Japan will make it clear that the Japanese love food and drink. TV here is plastered with shows where people do nothing but eat local cuisines from around the country. It is so big of an industry, that food and drink manufacturers here spend an enormous amount of time and money inventing new product lines.

The beverage industry in Japan is a great example of this. Each year major Japanese beverage companies like Kirin, Suntory, Asahi, Coca-Cola and Pepsi flood convenience store shelves with a huge variety of “seasonal specialties” or limited edition flavored drinks. This year alone we’ve already seen African tea-flavored coke, white coke, green coke, slime coke, coke and orange mix, caffeine-free diet coke. And that’s just coke. There are dozens more flavors and limited edition runs for other beverages too. Many drinks often only sell for a month or so before they are replaced with the new “flavor of the month.”

One reason for such high turnover of product lines is that the industry is extremely competitive. Regular new flavors guarantee a sales spike for the initial period. Food and beverage companies in Japan produce a larger variety of product lines than any other country in the world, sometimes researching new recipes and ideas months or years in advance. Another reason is that the industry has by itself created a collectors market for new and limited edition snacks and beverages. Collectors race to buy these items as soon as they are released. Some items are so limited that they require a waiting list and command a high price.

Consumers in Japan have a busy time keeping up with all the new flavors of drinks and snacks each year. Every flavor under the sun is an expression that accurately sums up Japan’s ever changing convenience store display shelves.