Japan

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum Review

This post reviews Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, which is located outside of Tokyo, Japan. In our review, we’ll offer photos of Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, our thoughts on the ramen, and whether it’s worth your time and money to go here while visiting Tokyo. On our last visit to Japan, we went to two ramen museums, including this one in […]

Cherry Blossom Night Lighting at Kiyomizudera Temple

For sakura and fall colors seasons, Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan has special night illumination. We visited during the lighting for cherry blossom season, and thought we’d share some of our experience and tips we learned during that visit. Prior to this, we had previously ben to Kiyomizu-dera Temple in October, and we missed the fall […]

Kawaii Monster Cafe: The Most Bizarre Restaurant in Harajuku, Tokyo

Calling Kawaii Monster Cafe the most bizarre place in Harajuku, Japan–a place known for eccentricity and sometimes outlandish fashion–is really saying something. Yet, that’s exactly what this themed restaurant is. In this restaurant review, we’ll take a peak inside Kawaii Monster Cafe, covering whether it’s worth your time and money, as well as how appropriate […]

Nara Dreamland: Bizarro Disneyland – Nightmare Edition

Nara Dreamland is an abandoned theme park in Japan, which opened in 1961 and was inspired by Disneyland. Actually, inspired by is generous: it was a Disneyland rip-off. From Main Street to the Matterhorn to Sleeping Beauty Castle to the Jungle Cruise, it borrowed heavily from Disneyland. It was like a photo copy 100 times removed from […]

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan

While visiting Universal Studios Japan, I had the chance to attend their Halloween Horror Nights. This post includes my Halloween Horror Nights photos from Japan, plus some general thoughts and tips if you’re planning on attending the event in the future. If you’re looking for general USJ tips & tricks, read my Guide to Universal Studios […]

Park Hyatt Tokyo Review

The Park Hyatt Tokyo is located in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Japan. It’s one of the nicest hotels in Tokyo, and one of the most famous hotels in the world due to its prominence in Lost in Translation, a film starring Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. In this review, we’ll feature room photos of the Park […]

Amity Landing Restaurant Review

Amity Landing Restaurant is located near the exit to the JAWS boat ride in Universal Studios Japan, in the Amity Village section of the park. This area is similar to the extinct ‘Amity’ section of Universal Studios Florida, albeit on a larger scale and with the Osaka park having things–like this restaurant and 2 other […]

50% Grey Dodge-Burn Layer Photography Tip

Today I wanted to focus on a new technique I recently learned that provides a way to non-destructively dodge and burn in Photoshop. For those unfamiliar with the dodge/burn tools, they are ways to extend the dynamic range in a single image in Photoshop, but the problem is that they normally a “destructive” ways to […]

Owl Cafe in Tokyo, Japan: Fukuro No Mise Review

Fukuro No Mise is a popular Owl Cafe in Tokyo, Japan where you literally dine and interact with a variety of owls. This review features photos of the owl cafe, and answers the question whether it’s worth the money. Animal cafes are a distinctly “Japanese” experience, with a variety of different animals, from cats to […]

Cool Japanese Vending Machine Beverages

If you’ve visited Japan, you know the Japanese love vending machines. In Tokyo, there is literally a beverage vending machine on every block, and in most cases, more than one. These vending machines offer a wide variety of beverages, from delicious bubble gum flavored soda to hot coffee, to an odd assortment of drinks in […]