If April’s article “The Do’s and Don’ts of Yakushima Hiking†by Paige Ngo intrigued you, read on for details about the most popular hikes on Yakushima and getting around the island without a car! First things first: don’t expect your typical walk in the woods! The many forces of nature combine to…
For the last year, with the help of various contacts, I have been reaching out to Hyogo JET alumni, pestering them about what they have been doing since finishing up on the JET programme. For me, it has been inspiring to learn about the career and life paths of our ALT contemporaries. [Alumni – if…
“Atsui†needn’t be the only word you use this summer to make small talk in the staff room. Make this easy peasy Japanesey somen lunch and you’ll be bantering about bentos till school’s out. Somen noodles are made of wheat flour and are usually served cold. With an easy dipping sauce, they can be…
Sushi is probably Japan’s most well-known cuisine and in the country you are spoilt for choice, with such a huge variety of price, quality and venue. For the freshest fish it makes sense to eat sushi straight off the boat, and Japan’s incredible wholesale markets are ideal for this. For many, Tokyo’s Tsukiji market is top of the list…
31 May, 2014 – Minamiawaji-shi, Awajishima A group of 20 individuals, mostly made up of Hyogo JET ALTs, is rumored to have taken part in a camping and entertainment experience on the southern shores of Awaji Island over the period of Saturday, May 31st to Sunday, June 1st. According to witness reports, fun and…
Hello Hyogo-ites! Just as I did last year in these very pages, I would like to encourage prospective returnees to join their local JET alumni chapter upon going home. Through local chapter activities, former JETs are able to promote a broader and deeper understanding between Japan and their home country at the grassroots level…
Dear Hysterical Hyogo, If the stacks of letters are anything to go by, many of you are worrying about returning from Japan to your respective home countries. I barely got through the first panicked paragraph before I found my eyes drooping with boredom. However, following incessant nagging from my editor, this month I shall…
Earlier last month some of Kansai’s finest beer enthusiasts came together to show off their drinking prowess in the 5th edition of the Kansai Beer Olympics. Keeping their glory days alive, over 60 competitors met on June 15 at Naniwanomiya Park, across the street from the Osaka Castle complex. After initial greetings, applying sunscreen and…
A bento requires three things: a box, tasty food, and visual appeal. The goal of bento is not just to take some food somewhere for later consumption. The goal is that when lunch time arrives the eater finds something visually appealing as well as edible inside that little box. Think of the bento…