For better or worse, a large percentage of Japanese people spend more time in bars and “izakaya” (Japanese style pubs) than with their own families. That means that going to one of these places will arguably give you more chances to learn Japanese than if you actually had a host family (in some cases not [...]
It is pretty hard to get further off the beaten track in Japan than by hitchhiking. I’ve never done it and the thought had never really occurred to me since I’ve associated hitchhiking with grizzly murders from horror flicks or sitting outside in crappy weather for hours on end. Our guest expert on the subject [...]
Passing the JLPT at any level requires being able to read some Japanese and of course the best way to learn to read is well….reading stuff. The problem with reading is that it’s really hard. For most of us below the JLPT Level 1, pulling out a newspaper, book, or magazine in Japanese and just [...]
The era of the Geisha for the most part has ended, but the cultural tradition of larger than life females remains very much alive. Outside traditional areas in cities like Kyoto, there are very few Geisha to be found in Japan these days, but in their place are virtually endless varieties of “Fantasy Girls.” Samurai [...]
お久しぶりです!『ohisashiburidesu』It’s been a while! Per request, Japan [Off The Beaten Track] is going to begin again strong with Hokkaido 北海道, the number one place in Japan where people take adventuring very seriously! This northern island is rugged and can be thought of as Japan’s Wild Wild North. People come from all over the world to [...]
Japanese girls are great for a lot of reasons, I mean, get real, they’re loved world wide because they’re small, cute, wear tiny tiny skirts, and sometimes dress up in school uniforms (even if they’re not in school anymore). It seems to be a rite of passage for every male exchange student, every JET, and [...]
Not to be confused with Dasai-tama… Some people in the Tokyo area claim that their slightly more rural neighbor is super lame by calling it 「ダ埼玉」 “Dasaitama,” (dasai「ださい」= lame) but I am here to tell you that Saitama Prefecture「埼玉県(さいたまけん)」kicks butt and if you need a break from being smashed into subway cars with a million [...]
Traveling in Shikoku, Japan [Off The Beaten Track] explores the adventures than can be had on the smallest of the four main islands such as: eating Tokushima ramen, dancing the Awa-odori, traversing the Iya Valley Vine Bridge, and walking the famous 88 Temple Pilgrimage!
