Halloween in Japan
Mister Donut is the largest doughnut franchise chain in Japan with over 1,300 stores nationwide. October is right around the corner and that means Halloween merchandise! Mister Donut is celebrating the holiday by churning out Hello Kitty jack-o’-lantern doughnuts and other adorable pumpkin-flavored treats. The special edition Hello Kitty doughnuts come in pumpkin or strawberry flavors and feature a toothy-grinned Hello Kitty-style jack-o’-lantern face. Mister Donut was sure to include Ms. Kitty’s signature pink bow on her left ear. If you are visiting Japan around the Halloween season do remember to drop by the store.
Popcorn in Tokyo Disneyland/sea
There are many awesome and unexpected food you can find in Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. The most interesting food I found at the parks was the popcorn. No matter what part of either park I went to, there was sure to be a popcorn stand in sight. But it isn’t just plain old buttered popcorn; the fluffy, puffed up corn kernels come in tons of different flavors. The park map even has a guide describing where each kind of popcorn can be found. “Popcorn Wagons” in Tokyo Disneyland serve caramel, salt, honey, curry, and soy sauce & butter popcorn. In DisneySea, you can find black pepper, caramel, sea salt, strawberry, curry, milk tea, and apple cinnamon popcorn.
Nara machi
Although nearby Kyoto gets far more international attention, Nara was actually Japan’s first standing capital. The Naramachi district contains a number of preserved houses, storefronts, and temples that give visitors a glimpse of the city’s long history.
Kurobe Gorge – Toyama
Kurobe Gorge is one of those underrated sights you should see. A bit off the beaten tourist track it makes the trip to Toyama worthwhile on it’s own. The story runs that in order to build a hydro electric dam a “mini” electric train system was built to move workers and gear up the Kurobe Gorge. Traveling up the gorge you are treated to a wonderful gorge scenery and the fall colours are great.
Dotombori street, Osaka
Dotombori is Osaka‘s liveliest nightlife area where hip and trendy young Japanese hang out. It is centered around Dotombori Arcade, a pedestrian-only strip of restaurants, bars, shops and karaoke lounges. Parallel to Dotombori Arcade is Dotombori-gawa, a narrow canal lined on both sides by brightly coloured neon lights.