When you embark on a journey to Yonezawa, a charming city nestled in the heart of Yamagata Prefecture, you are headed for a foodie’s paradise! The city’s food culture centers around a trio of delightful, delicious treasures: Apples, Beef, and Carp. Let's dive into the essence of Yonezawa's unique food offerings and uncover some hidden gems along the way.Yonezawa's apple orchards hold a special place in the region's history. The city boasts the distinction of being home to some of the oldest apple trees in Japan, dating back to 1876 in the Meiji era. Today, approximately 50 hectares of orchards ..read more

Saitama City is quickly accessible from Tokyo, and a central hub of culture and history within Saitama Prefecture. We have five recommended spots to put you in touch with the diverse appeal of this area.・Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa -jinja ShrineWith a purported history of over 2000 years, this is one of the oldest shrines in the entire Kanto region (central east Japan). It's accessible from Omiya Station, and takes about 20 minutes on foot. With these large, older shrines, the "Sando", or path that approaches the shrine is a part of the journey, and lined with trees in winter.・Omiya Bonsai Art M ..read more

Travel should always be filled with new, invigorating experiences, and moreover leave you feeling rejuvenated for your return back to the day-to-day. We invite you to take a trip to Sendai, an exciting yet relaxing city in Northern Japan. While smaller than Tokyo, Sendai City has everything you could want from Japanese city life, but markets itself with "health tourism", focusing on healing, invigorating experiences of an outdoor nature. This isn't to be confused with "medical tourism", as this doesn't have to do with medicine or healthcare, but rather healthy activities centered on movement ..read more

While traditional camping is always a refreshing experience to provide a contrast to our daily lives, the possibility of having all the needed gear while on a vacation is quite low. "Glamping" at Sendai Royal Pearl Hotel makes camping possible on vacation, but also adds a "glamorous" side to it, giving you access to high quality gear, amenities, and freshly prepared full-course meals! There are many activities nearby like zip-line, cycling, and the glamping guests get to enjoy the all-day outdoor dining area, the "Chef's Terrace". Treat yourself to luxurious meals of locally raised beef and ot ..read more

For a long time, the company has maintained the top position in the industry, selling over 9.4 million vehicles annually worldwide, ahead of Volkswagen and General Motors. Despite the company’s dominance, Toyota experiences several negative business factors both internally and externally. In light of resource-based theory, this paper provides an analysis of the organization, its competitive status using the VRIO framework and further recommendations on the issues it faces.Internal Factors Affecting ToyotaInternal factors are the very elements that are close and immediate to a company’s operati ..read more

Rogier is originally from The Netherlands and arrived in Japan in 1980 when he decided to journey to Japan to explore and discover the roots of paper making. After 40 years of living and dedicating his adult life to the art of washi making he has become the notable foreign master in this field.Rogier moved around Japan to meet washi artists and ended up creating his life in the mountain area in Kochi Prefecture. Now you can find his strong presence within the town of Yusuhara where he has created a washi studio with a boutique house adjacent where people can stay.You can find information on ho ..read more

If you ever get the opportunity to visit Kochi Prefecture you must try to coincide with the Yosakoi Summer Dance Festival which is held on the second weekend in August. This dance festival first started in 1954 and has spread to over 200 places in Japan, as well as in 33 countries and regions around the world. I was able to attend a very special performance in Tokyo which was live streamed on Youtube to the world, a brilliant way to share this art form within these challenging times of covid.You can watch the performance and I'm sure you will get a sense on why this dance is so popular and mor ..read more

The Shinsengumi were a group of swordsmen established by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1863. Formed as a special police force to maintain order in the streets of Kyoto, the group later fought for the shogunate against the Meiji government's anti-shogunate forces. They were originally known as the Roshigumi, with most of the swordsmen being ronin – samurai without masters. The word Shinsengumi translates to “newly-established brigade.”The Meiji government was formed during the Meiji Restoration, the political revolution that occurred in Japan in 1868. Numerous battles occurred between the new gover ..read more

Have you ever tried "Ichigo-gari" (strawberry picking) in Japan? The best time to savor the biggest, reddest, ripest strawberries in Chiba is from January through May.In Chiba, strawberry farms are located over different districts while Sanmu City is the most concentrated area. Nineteen strawberry farms formed a union called the "Sammu Naruto Strawberry Tourist Association", promoting strawberries of Chiba by selling different varieties of strawberry and providing strawberry picking. This year, they have taken some new measures to prevent infection. Mr. Kaji, the owner of Kaji Strawberry Garde ..read more

Located directly northwest of Tokyo, Saitama is often confused with simply being a part of Tokyo, but it’s a city of its own, offering all sorts of exciting locations, attractions and activities. Today we’d love to share a few of those places with you! First, we’ll take you downtown to the largest flood water diversion facility in the world. Then, out to the countryside where cooler, slower waters nurture one of Japan’s older and more aesthetic arts. And no list of attractions is complete without food, so we’ve included two! ●Higashimatsuyama: YAKITORIPrepare yourself for the uncommon as you b ..read more