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T R A V E L
  DAILY REPORTS
Feb 04 A taste of old Japan in a mountain ryokan
The Japanese clearly value tradition, yet for one reason or another - fire, natural disaster, the second world war, an enthusiasm for progress - there aren't many towns left that truly encapsulate the way things were. Kyoto has its temples, but in between them is a thoroughly modern city. Takayama is different - an old castle town in the mountains of central Japan. You can still see the ruins of the 17th-century castle in the town's Shiroyama Park, but Takayama is much better known for its townscape of narrow lanes and low wooden buildings stained the colour of espresso. With its steep hills the town couldn't produce much rice, so it produced artisans instead. Many were carpenters, who would go on to work on the palaces and temples in Kyoto, then return to construct their signature lattice-front buildings for local merchants. (guardian.co.uk )
Feb 03 Ice sculptures, snow slides at Hokkaido fest
The City of Sapporo will be hosting the 63rd annual Snow Festival this month. The event is considered a "must see" for tourists and about 2 million people visited the festival last year. The main draw is a collection of sculptures created entirely out of snow and ice. This year, organizers say that 222 sculptures will be on display. The festival is held at three different sites in the city. The main site is at Odori Park, which is in the middle of downtown Sapporo. The site will feature 136 sculptures, and stages that will host a variety of performances scheduled to take place throughout the week. (Japan Times)
Feb 03 Japan's celebration of Spring: Penis and vagina festivals
Dating back more than 1,500 years, Japan's rites of spring are deeply rooted in its agricultural past. As in all the world's ancient cultures, such observances were believed to promote a successful harvest and produce many babies. It is ironic that Japan's Penis and Vagina Festival is an annual event dating back to ancient times and today that nation has one of the world's lowest birth rates. The government hopes to ease the financial burden of child-rearing and encourage more children by offering a monthly stipend of $280 per child. But these annual festivals, which attract many tourists and fill local coffers, offer more encouragement on a visceral level. (weirdasianews.com )
Feb 02 Hamamatsu new 'gyoza' capital
Boasting dozens of restaurants and shops and the highest household consumption rate of "gyoza," Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi Prefecture, has long been regarded as the capital of the Chinese dumpling as well. News photo Pot stickers: "Gyoza" dumplings are arranged for a photo Wednesday at a restaurant in Minato Ward, Tokyo. YOSHIAKI MIURA But no longer. For the first time in 16 years, the city lost its No. 1 ranking in gyoza consumption, beaten out by Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, according to a recent survey of household spending released Tuesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Last year, Utsunomiya households spent on average just ¥3,737 on the dumplings, down 40 percent from a record high ¥6,133 in 2010. Meanwhile, households in Hamamatsu spent ¥4,313, down 10 percent from ¥4,754 in 2010. (Japan Times )
Feb 02 Gundam park to open in Odaiba
A theme park featuring popular "anime" series "Mobile Suit Gundam" will open on April 19 in Tokyo's Odaiba district. According to Bandai Co., the new theme park, named Gundam Front Tokyo, will have a huge dome-shaped screen showing images of Gundam, the venerated fighting robot in the popular series, and rare documents related to the series' production will be on display. The theme park will be on the seventh floor of a new shopping complex, DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, opening on April 19. An 18-meter statue of Gundam will stand outside the complex. A second outlet of the popular Gundam Cafe, located in Akihabara, Tokyo, will also open on the second floor of the complex. (Japan Times )
  • Jan 13 Respect 'maiko' privacy, don't act like paparazzi, Kyoto tells tourists (Japan Times)
  • Jan 13 ESTA online registration for U.S. travel debuts smoothly at Narita (Japan Times)
  • Jan 11 AirAsia X eyes Japan after Tokyo relaxes tough visa rule (AFP)
  • Jan 11 Pushy tourists bother maiko (mysinchew.com)
  • Jan 11 Setagaya's long-running Boroichi market offers bargains and bites (Japan Times)
  • Jan 11 Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market to resume admitting sightseers Jan. 19 (Kyodo)
  • Jan 11 More than 100 domestic flights canceled due to weather (Kyodo)
  • Jan 09 Izu Peninsula: In thrall to a craggy coast (Japan Times)
  • Jan 09 A hideaway in Mito (Japan Times)
  • Jan 09 Foreign visitors to Japan saw first fall in five years in 2008 (Japan Times)
  • Jan 07 Tokyo luxury inns brace for slide (Japan Times)
  • Jan 06 JAL to launch carbon offset program (NHK)
  • Jan 06 Kyoto celebrates a 1,000-year love affair (New York Times)
  • Jan 06 Japan's cat island seeks people (thewest.com.au)
  • Jan 06 Dining 'under the arches' of the Japan rail in Tokyo (The Street)
  • Jan 05 Roppongi landmark shuts, site to be redeveloped (Tokyo Reporter)
  • Jan 05 Japanese man walks 45,000 km around the world (New Sabah Times)
  • Jan 04 Japanese Travelers to U.S. Must Register Online From Jan. 12 (Bloomberg)
  • Jan 04 Sport of the samurai still thrives in Japan (pe.com)
  • Jan 01 Falling dollar driving huge gains for Jetstar (Daily Telegraph)
  • Dec 29 Holiday-season glitch disrupts Japan's bullet trains (AFP)
  • Dec 28 Tokyo's lab for musicians (New York Times)
  • Dec 28 JAL seeking to hike ticket prices (Japan Times)
  • Dec 27 Winter's first snow dusts Golden Pavilion (Asahi)
  • Dec 23 Year of discovery competition: Riding Japan's Bullet Train (telegraph.co.uk)
  • Dec 22 No bones about it: Tomb tours are booming (Asahi)
  • Dec 20 Where to go on your journey to Japan? (thetravelandhotelguide.com)
  • Dec 18 Jetstar to begin discount Japan-Australia flights (AP)
  • Dec 18 Wi-Fi coming to Japan's bullet trains next year (PC World)
  • Dec 18 Japan Airlines to test biofuel flight (Environmental Leader)
  • Dec 18 UAE carriers to get access to Narita airport (Kyodo)
  • Dec 18 Japan flights to Alaska back on after Palin intervenes (USA Today)
  • Dec 17 Travelers to U.S. required to register online prior to boarding under new system (Mainichi)
  • Dec 15 Vietnam - key destination for Japanese tourists (VietNamNet)
  • Dec 10 'My Neighbor Totoro' ecosystem declining in Japan (National Geographic)
  • Dec 06 International travel over year-end holidays to drop: JTB (Mainichi)
  • Dec 01 Japan Tourism Bureau a bust as high yen deters visits (Bloomberg)
  • Nov 30 Possible Imperial tomb opened to public (Yomiuri)
  • Nov 29 Japan: A very disabled-friendly nation! (philstar.com)
  • Nov 28 Travel To Japan And Experience The Far East (nuptia.ca)
  • Nov 28 52% feel unsafe by foreign tourist rise (Japan Times)
  • Nov 25 Passenger numbers at Narita airport exceed 700 mil. (Kyodo)
  • Nov 19 Ministry, airline officials eye stopping new flu types at airports (AP)
  • Nov 19 More Japanese taking overseas vacations due to stronger yen (Channel NewsAsia)
  • Nov 18 Michelin gives 3-star ratings to 9 Tokyo restaurants (Kyodo)
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