जापान – आवारा मुसाफिर

Top denim, second-hand jazz records and plump gyoza in Tokyo

December 8, 2024109 Views

I first arrived in Japan in 1997, when memories of the bubble years were fresh and Tokyo was known for its frenetic nightlife and high prices. Back then I don’t recall anyone using the term “kosupa” – an abbreviation of the English words “cost performance,” which means “value for money.” If the search for kosupa has since become a pastime, its more austere cousin “setsuyaku” (economising) is something of a religion, highlighting how years of deflation and flat wages have turned Tokyoites into master bargain hunters. While I have covered elections, the Olympics and the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, I’m mainly responsible for Reuters business coverage, a job that leaves me constantly amazed at Japan’s ability to tighten its belt, even when it seems there’s no belt...

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A Japanese artist finds solace and global fans with intricate leaf-cutting

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 2, 2024104 Views

A frog holding a taro-leaf umbrella. A parade of frolicking animals. An Ukiyo-e style Mount Fuji. Giant waves. A Japanese artist who goes by the name Lito carves these delicate designs on fallen leaves, giving life back to them. The world of Lito’s delicate art, which he began in 2020 and posts on social media almost daily, has won fans from around the world. The leaf art has also given him solace after earlier struggles with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a purpose in life — the joy of making people happy with his art. He enjoys working at night. From a pile of leaves treated with a wrinkle-free chemical, he picks one and places it on a cutting board. First, he outlines the design on the leaf with a pen in his right hand. Then he takes a design k...

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Japan’s Mount Fuji eyes China-made tram to transport hikers

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

November 17, 2024168 Views

Japanese authorities seeking to reduce the carbon footprint and overcrowding at Mount Fuji will propose a trackless, rubber-tyred tram system made by China's CRRC to transport climbers, a person with direct knowledge of the plan said. The new proposal, which has not been previously reported, would replace the original plan to build a light-rail system connecting the base to the fifth hiking station of the popular Yoshida Trail, which goes to the top, after a local city and other parties, voiced concern over its environmental and cost impact. Yamanashi Prefecture, home of the most popular route used by climbers of the 3,776-metre (12,3388-foot) volcano, is set to announce the plan soon, the person told Reuters, asking for anonymity because the information is not yet public. Mo...

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Mount Fuji is without its iconic snowcap in November for the first time in 130 years

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

November 5, 2024103 Views

Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, known for its snowcap forming around this time of the year, is still snowless in November for the first time in 130 years, presumably because of the unusually warm temperatures in the past few weeks. The lack of snow on Mt. Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as of Tuesday breaks the previous record set on Oct. 26, 2016, meteorological officials said. Usually, the 3,776-meter- (nearly 12,300-foot-) high mountain has sprinkles of snow falling on its summit starting Oct. 2, about a month after the summertime hiking season there ends. Last year, snow fell on the mountain on Oct. 5, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, or JMA. The snowless Mt. Fuji has captured attention on social media. People posted photos showing the bare mountain, some expr...

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Tourist splurge in Japan creates new headache for luxury brands

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

August 2, 2024244 Views

Tourists are flocking to Japan to scoop up high-end clothes and handbags at a discount thanks to the weak yen currency. Luxury goods companies like Louis Vuitton parent LVMH would rather they stayed home and shopped. The yen's sell-off - it hit a 38-year low against the dollar last month before recovering ground - has sparked an unprecedented tourist boom, drawing savvy shoppers from Asia and elsewhere. Global luxury brands aren't cheering, because their goods, ranging from designer sneakers to whisky, now tend to be cheaper in dollar terms in Japan than elsewhere, denting profits. Some tourists, especially Chinese, are holding off on buying designer goods at home and splurging in Japan. The yen's volatility means companies can't easily hike prices to accurately reflect the curre...

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Only 4000 climbers to be allowed to enter Mount Fuji per day

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

May 21, 2024363 Views

Those who want to climb one of the most popular trails on Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji will have to book a slot and pay a fee as crowds, littering and climbers who try to rush too fast to the summit cause safety and conservation concerns at the picturesque stratovolcano. The new rules for the climbing season, starting July 1 to Sept. 10, apply for those hiking the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the 3,776 meter- (nearly 12,300 feet-) high mountain that was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013. FILE PHOTO: Visitors take pictures of Mount Fuji from Shibuya Sky observation deck Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Only 4,000 climbers will be allowed to enter the trail per day for a hiking fee of 2,000 yen (about $18)...

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A town is building a big screen blocking the view of Mount Fuji

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

May 5, 2024323 Views

Fujikawaguchiko wants to fend off misbehaving foreign tourists The town of Fujikawaguchiko has had enough of tourists. Known for a number of scenic photo spots that offer a near-perfect shot of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, the town on Tuesday began constructing a large black screen on a stretch of a sidewalk to block the view of the mountain. The reason: misbehaving foreign tourists. “Kawaguchiko is a town built on tourism, and I welcome many visitors, and the town welcomes them too, but there are many things about their manners that are worrying,” said Michie Motomochi, owner of a cafe serving Japanese sweets “ohagi,” near the soon-to-be-blocked photo spot. Workers set up a barricade near the Lawson convenience store, background, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at Fujikawaguchiko town...

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Crowds picnic to see Tokyo’s cherry blossoms at full bloom

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

April 7, 2024351 Views

Crowds gathered to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms in Tokyo, where cold weather has delayed their bloom. Cherry blossoms, known as “sakura” in Japanese, are the nation’s favorite flower. People often have sakura viewing parties beneath the falling petals, where there are also picnics and sake drinking. A visitor takes photos of the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Vidyuth Lakshman, 36, a tourist from Canada, said she’d seen cherry blossoms in her homeland but “not on this scale. The scale here is crazy.” The trees usually are at peak bloom in late March to early April, at the same time the country begins a new school and business year. “They’re really breathtaking,” said Silver Shea, 47, a tourist from ...

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Tokyo’s public toilets are a unique tourist attraction for visitors

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

April 5, 2024421 Views

Along with taking in temples and cherry blossoms, Tokyo visitors can now join a curated pilgrimage of the city's more modern wonders: its public toilets. Penelope Panczuk was inspired to hop on the Tokyo Toilet Shuttle for a two-hour tour of artistically enhanced public conveniences by "Perfect Days", the Oscar-nominated film about a toilet cleaner in the city's Shibuya district. Foreign tourists get their photos taken in front of a public toilet which was redesigned as part of a project to transform public toilets into restrooms that can be used comfortably by everyone, during a Tokyo Toilet Shuttle Tour, at Shibuya ward, in Tokyo, Japan April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon "In the U.S. or in France where I originally come from, you just don't go," Panczuk said of using public ...

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Spring in Japan: Welcoming the Cherry Blossom

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

February 26, 2024661 Views

Japan’s eagerly awaited Cherry Blossom Forecast 2024 is now out. While March to April marks the peak of cherry blossom (Sakura in Japanese) season in most parts of Japan, Sakura can also be enjoyed as early as February in southern Japan, particularly in Okinawa Prefecture, and lasts up to May in the northern part of Hokkaido Prefecture. When one thinks of Japan, the image of cherry blossoms, or sakura, often comes to mind. Indeed, the springtime bloom of these delicate pink flowers is a celebrated event across the country. In Okinawa, cherry blossoms typically begin to bloom as early as February, heralding the arrival of spring in this subtropical paradise. While Okinawa's sakura possess a unique charm against the backdrop of turquoise seas and lush greenery. Visitors to Okin...