Japan Travel News

I enjoy new places and things, and went through a week packed to the brim with both.

President Barack Obama says he wants to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki sometime during his presidency but won't have time during this week's trip to Japan to go to the cities devastated by U.S. atomic bombs at the end of World War II.

Japan is expected to report as early as this week that its greenhouse gas emissions sank last year, the first year of its Kyoto Protocol obligations.

Despite Japan's longstanding calls for the elimination of nuclear weapons, government officials in recent months have been voicing concern that progress in disarmament could erode the credibility of the U.S. nuclear umbrella, upon which Japan relies.

On this field trip, my fourteen year old son has met the mayor of our sister city, Hikone , toured a 400 year old castle , and paraded in an authentic Samurai costume complete with real swords.

Stopping into the Misawa bookstore for a fun book to read as I prepared to travel for another 10 days, I spotted T.C. Boyle's newest book, The Women.

Japan is renowned for its bullet trains, but there's no need to rush on the luxurious Cassiopeia, which runs from Tokyo to Sapporo.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann will be meeting with business and tourism officials in Japan and the Philippines to visit with tourism officials and cement sister-city relationships.

Following this item about how China and America had one attitude toward foreigners trying to speak their language, while Japan, France, and the Ivory Coast had a different view, some assent, dissent, and elaboration.

Prime Minister John Key donned his tourism minister's hat in central Tokyo yesterday to promote the rugby World Cup and try to boost flagging numbers of Japanese visitors to New Zealand.

Mayor Sam Adams departs Friday on a goodwill trade tour of Japan, armed with signed copies of Pink Martini's latest CD and a mission to woo Mitsubishi to pick Portland to roll out its zero-emission cars.

If you are a follower of the Daily Moooo! you may already know that Shiraishi Island has received some government funding in the form of stimulus money.

Viewing cherry blossoms in the spring and the colorful autumn leaves in the fall are deeply rooted traditions in Japan where it is celebrated with viewing events in parks, gardens, and temples, along with "sake" parties and a sumptuous feast.

TOKYO – Japanese newspapers and activists are calling for Barack Obama to become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki, the only two cities ever devastated by atomic bombs, ahead of his visit to Japan next month.

Swissotel Nankai Osaka's Sh'un Kushiage and Wine raises the bar by clinching the Best of Award of Excellence in the prestigious Wine Spectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards.

An English countryside church is proving to be a popular place for couples to marry - in Japan.

An exhibition of photographs taken by diplomats and their families in Japan will open Tuesday in Tokyo, showcasing works imbued with the Japanese concepts of wabi and sabi .

Global economic ups and downs aside, new accommodations options, ranging from traditional-style ryokan inns to chic, five-star outposts of global chains, are set to open in Japan -- the world's second-largest economy and thus one of Asia's leading travel hubs, for both business and pleasure -- now through the end of 2010.

Without a group of loyal music lovers, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra would not be touring Japan in the coming two weeks.

MCN's Andy Downes will be testing the new VFR1200F in Japan later this week. He will be posting regular updates of his experiences.