Japan is one of the most attractive destinations for Australians – and other nationalities, for that matter. Japan is the epitome of a developed Asian nation, and with its own particular quirks, the Japanese culture is very easy to fall in love with. Then there is the food and electronics shopping.

It is no surprise then, that estimates point at more than 200,000 Australians traveling to Japan each year. Even government officials hold Japan in high regard, with (then) Prime Minister Howard saying in 2006 that “Australia has no greater friend in Asia than Japan”.
That being said, Japan is one of the safest places for tourist, no matter what nationality. However, nature does not always back up the intentions of humans, and we know that Japan is particularly prone to earthquakes, which can lead to some safety issues. If you are planning on paying this wonderful Asian country a visit in the near future, do take a look at some essential safety tips. Continue reading »
Posted March 23rd, 2013 by Maki+ | Comment (0)
Tucked deep within the dark recesses of most everyone’s psyche, a yearning to see the world and learn things firsthand through experience resides. Some people go for it – taking a leap of faith and dedicating themselves to the pursuit of trekking the globe – while many of us focus on other priorities.
Despite this, we cannot deny that the appeal of travel is universal. And should we wish to learn about travelling and what to keep in mind in which places, we only need to look to our TVs as there are a lot of highly informative travel shows out there that can help fuel your wanderlust – even more if you go through www.ExpertSatellite.com for your TV needs. Here are some of our favorites:
Globe Trekker

Quite possibly one of the most accomplished travel shows ever, Globe Trekker (or Lonely Planet as it is called in some countries) stars the lovably goofy Ian Wright as they showcase the world’s best travel destinations, imparting essential knowledge, and a lot of insider information.
Discovery Atlas

Among the many different travel shows, Discovery Atlas is certainly one of the most ambitious. With its magnificent scale and gorgeous treatment, Atlas provides compelling insight into local life. Atlas also has a different celebrity narrator for every episode. Swanky.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Professional chef/writer Anthony Bourdain’s travel documentary about the various delicacies all over the world is every foodie’s dream come true. For those who dream of raveling and love to eat, this show is a definite must-watch.
An Idiot Abroad

If you’re looking for a travel show that isn’t just informational but entertaining as well, look no further than An Idiot Abroad. Starring sheltered little Karl Pilkington who is reluctantly thrust into a life of travel and adventure by his peers funnyman Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant An Idiot Abroad is chockfull of interesting data about different countries and their wonderful travel destinations.
About the guest author:
Amy is a travel aficionado who does most of her traveling…through her TV.
Posted March 4th, 2013 by ali+ | Comment (0)
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Planning your trip can be quite difficult if you are not familiar with the place you are visiting. It is best to book a hotel nearby the places you would like to visit or somewhere easily accessible. So here
cialis buy is a list of various areas in Tokyo what to do there:
Akasaki/Roppongi Area
This area has a great night life. You can shop and dine here too. Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills are major landmarks in this area.
Asakusa/Ueno Area
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l of the old Japan in this area. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions. Enjoy shopping at the ameyoko streets, visit Ueno Park and surrounding museums and shopping malls here.
Ginza Area
Here you can find luxurious shops, hotels, theaters, restaurants, clubs and department stores. It is a high end area where adults can shop and dine.
Shinagawa Area
It is the shopping and entertainment central in Tokyo. Here you can find many hotels situated nearby the JR Shinagawa station. The railway hub can also be found here.
Shinjuku Area
Shinjuku is considered as one of the busiest areas in Tokyo. There are many convenient hotels in the area and it is a good spot to shop and enjoy.
Ikebukuro Area
This is another busy Tokyo district where you can find great entertainment. It has a railway hub, shopping malls, restaurants and theaters to name a few.
Shibuya Area
Just like Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, this busy district is great for shopping and entertainment especially for the younger crowd.
With these descriptions, it is easier to choose what to do and where to stay while you are in Tokyo. Enjoy!
Posted January 31st, 2012 by Anna+ | Comment (0)
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The Tokyo Metropolis
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ital. It is the set of the Japanese government. Here you can find the Imperial Palace where the Royal Family resides. The now developed city was once a small fishing village named Edo. Its whole area is a little over 2 million square kilometers, with a population of over 13 million people as of August 2011.
There are various airports within Tokyo and its islands. Getting around is also not a problem because they have a reliable public transport system. You can take the Metro, bus or taxis easily. Ferries are also available in case you want to visit neighboring islands.
Tokyo houses many museums and theatres
all over for you to appreciate art and music. You can visit the Imperial Palace or check the Asakusa Shrine for sightseeing too. You can also enjoy the many festivals they have throughout the year or enjoy the cherry blossoms at bloom in spring. During this time, many people go for walks or have picnics at the Ueno Park, Inokashira Park or the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
If you are fond of cosplays and modern fashion, Shibuya’s Harajuku is the place to be. Walking around this area is definitely an interesting experience. As for food, there are many fine dining and izakayas all over for you to choose from. Most of them serve traditional Japanese food which you will surely enjoy. You can never go wrong with ramen, tempura, grilled meats/seafood and sushi.
Posted January 30th, 2012 by Anna+ | Comment (0)
What do you do when you visit a foreign country? Do you merely drink in the sights and sounds or do you prefer to be a hands on traveler? I would like to categorize myself under the latter group. Seeing and hearing is most definitely part of any travel experience of mine but actually tasting, touching, and living the local culture raises the experience to a whole new level.
Japan is definitely on the top of the list of worldwide tourist destinations and what better place to experience its culture than Kyoto? This city is arguably the best place to experience the real Japan. Jane Singer actually wrote a very inspiring article about this. She shares:
For these travelers, visiting Kyoto, the 1,200-year-old cultural heart of Japan, without experiencing the culture is too much of a virtual experience. Why restrict yourself to the sights alone when you can feel the smooth embrace of silk kimono, taste the bitter froth after whisking up a cup of powdered green tea, or hear the reverberation when you pound on a taiko drum?
For these experiential travelers, Kyoto offers a growing menu of taiken hands-on tours in English, and I recently sampled a few. The first was at Shunkoin temple, one of 48 sub-temples in the sprawling Myoshinji Buddhist temple complex in western Kyoto, where the affable young English-speaking vice abbot, Takafumi Kawakami, leads a tour of the temple and gardens and two 15-minute sessions of Rinzai Zen meditation.
The next time you plan on going to this part of the world, you should try what she tried. Even if it is not your first visit, you just might return home with something new.
Posted July 20th, 2011 by Maki+ | Comment (0)

Do you love wine and other similar drinks that contain alcohol? Do you like relaxing in the great outdoors? Do you like hot springs? Do you like being pampered? If you answered yes to these questions, then I suggest trying out the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Spa . This place is one of a kind. Located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the spa offers a wonderful experience to suit all sorts of tastes.
They have over 25 water attractions which will definitely give visitors what they want. The main attraction is called The Godâ’s Aegean Sea and it is composed of three islands with relaxing spa waters. The God’s Aegean Sea also includes a variety of water massaging devices. Also, experience the wonder and drama of dynamic special effects by a fully illuminated water screen high above on the ceiling.
What appeals more to me, though, is the Wine Spa. The Spa’s web site describes it as:
A unique spa containing real red wine. The huge wine bottle is 3.6m tall and is very remarkable. Bathing in wine is a rejuvenation treatment for the body, and it has been said that the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra loved to bath in wine. There are regular performances of pouring real wine into the spa a few times a day.
Ok, I thought Cleopatra bathed in milk but oh well, a bath in wine is something that any wine-loving person should experience, don’t you think?
Another interesting feature is the Coffee Spa. Caffeine junkies should not miss out on this. Naturally, the bath is made of coffee in hot spring water. I think I shall spend some time dipping in wine and then wake myself up with a dip at the Coffee Spa.
Take your pick!
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Maki+ | Comment (0)
The environment-conscious Japanese are about to receive another treat: electric sports cars. Recently, I wrote something about electric cars hitting the market in the very near future. Now, it’s more than these Japanese electric cars that is getting me (and a lot of other people) excited.
Tesla Motors Inc. has announced its plans to launch one of their electric sports cars in Japan! Tesla is an American car maker that specializes in electric vehicles. According to their official statement, they are launching the Roadster early next month. That’s pretty soon, especially since we’re almost at the end of April!
This is a big move by the American car maker, as Japan is well known to protect its domestic industries, and Mitsubishi and July are also releasing their own electric vehicles this year. While it means stiff competition for the car makers, it means more choices for the Japanese people.
The Roadster is a high-end sports car – a two-seater right-hand drive. Its rate of acceleration is 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.7 seconds. For an electric vehicle, that is not bad. Not bad at all!
The only drawback to Tesla’s Roadster is that the price will be about double the selling price in the United States. It’s currently selling for USD 101,500 (9.4 million yen) in the United States, and it will go for about 18 million yen when released in Japan. That is quite a considerable sum, ensuring that the Roadster will probably not be a common sight on the roads.
Posted April 23rd, 2010 by Maki+ | Comments (3)
Japan lovers, here is some good news for you: the government is planning on focusing more attention on its tourism sector! It is no secret that Japan has not been exempt from the economic crisis that has been affecting even the richest countries in the world. As such, the government has decided that they will step up their efforts to boost their economy, and their plans give a major role to tourism.
This is really a no brainer as we all know that Japan is a major tourist destination for many people. Aside from the ever popular Japanese food (sushi!), the country has so much to offer in terms of culture and art. More so, Japan is quite modern, assuring visitors of the utmost comfort and convenience during their visit. It is a matter of fact thing to find an excellent Japan restaurant or a Japan hotel around the corner, especially in the major cities.
Part of the plan to boost the country’s tourism sector is the creation of the Japan Tourism Agency, which was established in October of last year. Headed by Yoshiaki Hompo, this agency is tasked with organizing the different sectors to contribute to the development of the tourism sector. While they are quick to acknowledge that the going won’t be as easy as one would like it to be, they are quite optimistic about their efforts.
For travelers, this means one thing: you are going to be in for a lot of wonderful experiences, great deals, and perhaps the best vacation of your life.
Posted April 22nd, 2009 by Maki+ | Comments (2)
For those of you who experienced the Kyoto Winter Special last year, you can do so again this year. After a successful run, the organizers have decided to have a go at it once again but this time, they are offering more and better deals for their visitors. For those who are not aware, the Kyoto Winter Special is akin to a festival – 3 months’ worth of cultural activities. This year’s Winter Special runs from 1 December 2008 to 31 March 2009. Easier.com has this feature:
In addition, special admission will be granted to normally restricted heritage sites, and there will be unique winter events and chances to receive special offers from world-famous hotels. With Kyoto Winter Special, the breathtaking beauty of winter in Kyoto awaits you!
Special Events Kyoto’s cherry blossoms and fall leaves are a sight to see, but Kyoto’s magical winter is something special. There will be various events showcasing winter.
Information on events from December to March are listed by month on the Kyoto Winter Special website. The main event during the Kyoto Winter Special is called “Hanatoroâ€. This event beautifies Kyoto’s nights, with elegant lanterns lighting up Kyoto’s famous spots. Adding a winter event into a visit to Kyoto is a great way to make your trip that extra bit memorable.
Ask anyone who has been to Kyoto and other Japanese cities and they will probably tell you the same thing – there is nothing like Kyoto if you really want to get a hands on experience of what the Japanese culture is like.
Posted December 3rd, 2008 by Maki+ | Comment (0)
To have a place designated as a World Heritage Site is not a minor thing. And before a place can have that honor, a lot of steps have to be followed. It is common knowledge that Japan already has a lot of locations which are considered as World Heritage Sites but as a testament to the richness of their culture, the government has proposed another 5 sites.
MCOT has this report:
The Japanese government has picked five more places as candidates for cultural heritage sites to be registered on the World Heritage list by UNESCO, bringing the number of such candidates to 13, the Cultural Affairs Agency said Friday.
Among the five is Niigata Prefecture’s Sado Island in the Sea of Japan that is known for having had one of the world’s largest gold and silver mines during the Edo period in the 17th to 19th centuries.
The four others include a group of historic monuments in Hokkaido and the northern Tohoku region in the prehistoric Jomon period which includes the Sannai Maruyama settlement site in Aomori Prefecture, and the Mozu-Furuichi group of mausoleums in Osaka Prefecture, which includes one of the world’s largest keyhole-shaped tomb mounds.
The remaining two are a group of industrial modernization sites in Kyushu and Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Okinoshima Island in Fukuoka Prefecture, which served as a key transit point for trade between Japan and the Chinese continent in the 4th to 10th centuries.
The five candidates were picked out of the 32 places recommended by local governments across the country, agency officials said.
Can you imagine that? Thirty two more sites! It is no wonder that Japan is such a popular tourist destination.
Posted September 30th, 2008 by Maki+ | Comment (0)