1) Asakusa and Senso-ji Asakusa is a mostly pedestrian section of Tokyo with various stores, restaurants, souvenir shops, etc. At the northern end of Asakusa is the Senso-ji temple, a large complex with food stands, cherry trees and various buildings. As with any significant shrine, there are aisles of vendors geared toward tourists. We stayed in Asakusa and found it to be a very good neighborhood to base ourselves. Above, bottom left, the pagoda and main hall of the shrine.

Ise Sueyoshi Meal Type: Traditional Kaiseki Though we had the traditional, we were excited to see that this restaurant actively welcomes gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and Muslim meals. They also had a section on the reservation form to describe a dietary need that didn’t fit neatly in those categories. Phone: 03-6427-2314 Email: info.sueyoshi@gmail.com Website: http://isesueyoshi.blog.fc2.com/ Address: 4-2-15 Nishiazabu, Mizuno Bldg. 3F, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031 (Note the 3

Things that make sense in Japan? We've got you covered: bathrooms, restaurant reservations, transportation, visas, phone cards and more. Isn't Japan Really Expensive? Not necessarily. Even when exchange rates were seriously not in the favor of US dollars, we found some key ways to keep expenses low. Use a business hotel : our choice has usually been Toyoko Inn , but there are several brands that are similar, such as Dormy Inn , Tokyu Stay and Daiwa Roynet . These are often a

This is a great city for museums, shopping (including antiques!), rich history, and lovely walks. Jump to the Food recommendations here , Hotels here , and Arita day trip here . We were based near the JR station which has many malls all around it and easy transport by bus or tram everywhere in the city. If you arrive at the port (on a cruise) or are near the port, there is a bus stop very close that gives excellent instructions in English and offers an all-day pass for 600 ye

Noboribetsu is an onsen town about an hour south of Sapporo along the coast. It borders the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The onsen...