Kiyosu with its castle is just minutes from Nagoya Station, and yet it is generally never mentioned in guidebooks or travel magazines. In fact, many people in Nagoya have never heard of Kiyosu Castle, and even I didn’t hear about it until I had been in Nagoya for more than 10 years!  This is unfortunate, because Kiyosu is definitely worth a visit. Take a look below for some of the...

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that Japan loves its noodles, or men as it’s called in Japanese. There are all sorts of kinds: Ramen, Somen, Tsukemen, Tantanmen, Ikemen… OK, that last one actually isn’t a type of noodle, but to anyone who knows some Japanese, you might get the joke! Kishimen is part of the Nagoya Meshi, which is the culinary culture of Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture. If...

Most people know Toyota as the name of Japan’s leading car brand, but did you know that Toyota is also the name of a city in Aichi Prefecture? Toyota city is the home of Toyota Corp., where thousands of cars are produced every day. The city is a paradise for car lovers, with exciting museums to learn more about the history and development of the Toyota brand. But Toyota isn’t...

Most cosplayers know that any place can be suitable for a photo shoot. I have taken pictures in abandoned buildings, streets, parks, and even in a pool; any area that fits my cosplay. Why not take advantage of your trip to Japan to take some fantastic cosplay pictures in and around Nagoya?  As someone who has been cosplaying for over six years and taking pictures of cosplayers for even longer,...

One of the first and most exciting signs of spring in Japan is when flowers start blooming. The cherry blossom or Sakura, is the best-known flower during the spring season. However, there is a flower that blooms before the Sakura tree, and it has played an important role in Japanese culture and tradition for many centuries: we are talking about the plum blossom. The flowering season of the plum blossom...