By Elise Burgess Halloween is just around the corner, and although it’s not as popular of a holiday in Japan as in the West, there’s no shortage of terrifying ghosts, ghouls and general nightmare fuel. Low on Halloween costume ideas? Don’t want to end up being the 20th Harley Quinn on the block?…
Hello baseball fans! Have you ever wanted to watch a Hanshin Tigers game in Japan? Here are my tips to get the most out of your experience: Arrive early; Check out the Museum & the Shrine Koshien Stadium is located on the Hanshin Line, between Nishinomiya and Amagasaki. Don’t get confused by…
On the 2nd and 3rd floors of San Center Plaza lies a stretch of shops catering to the geekiest of shoppers in Kobe. I’ve taken to affectionately calling this sweet haven Nerd Lane. Here, you can find many nerdy things to get your fix. If you tend to be weak of will when encountering…
Game   An active interest or pursuit, especially one involving competitive engagement or adherence to rules. Three Card Monte is a confidence trick that originates from the turn of the 15th century and is, ostensibly, an easy chance to make quick money. The dealer, or shill, in the local parlance, usually aided and…
Spring is here! That means a brand new school year with new students and staff, your un-insulated house is finally livable again, and you can day-drink under the cherry blossoms. It also marks the return of something else incredibly important: baseball season! I was first introduced to Kansai’s most famous team during my…
Inside the crowd was unique and varied. Larger men who wistfully looked up at the stage hoping to one day compete or perhaps remembering their own glory days, friends and middle-aged wives smartly dressed shouting words of encouragement to their partners on stage, and then the few photographers and writers scribbling notes on…
The Takarazuka Revue is a whirlwind show; blink once and you’ve probably missed a costume change or two. The town of Takarazuka is famous for two reasons: it was the home of a famous manga artist and it plays host to the Takarazuka Revue, an all-female company that performs plays, musicals, and dazzling dance numbers….
Print your tickets! Pack your bags! The most celebrated week of the year (at least in Japan) is here: Golden Week!　By now you’ve heard of the series of national holidays clustered at the beginning of May.　Perhaps it was a fellow ALT or a friendly JTE who first made you aware of this spectacular feat in…
You may visit Tokushima prefecture for the impressive Naruto whirlpools in the strait between Awaji and Shikoku, but whilst there you can also enjoy an unexpected cultural extravaganza thanks to the Otsuka Museum of Art (ÅŒtsuka Kokusai Bijutsukan). On a bright day in February my friend and I were taken to this museum…