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 … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
Going to Japan is all about having adventures. Be they accidental adventures, such as getting too drunk and passing out on the last train of the night and ending up in the middle of nowhere, or purposeful ones like hiking … [Read more...]
Japan's jobless rate is currently at 5.2%, which is a record high (way better than America's, but still). There is a 15.7% poverty rate, one of the highest amongst industrialized nations. 15,800 people live on the streets … [Read more...]
One of the things I most want to see someday are the snow monkeys living in Japan. If you haven't heard of the Japanese Macaque, you're in for a great surprise. These monkeys are... shall we say... very "human" in a couple … [Read more...]