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Japan

Tokyo International Cruise Terminal.

Port guide: Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is a fast-paced, exhilarating encounter with ultra-urban Japan, and showcases its latest music, pop culture, fashions and technology.

  • Brian Johnston
Steam city… Beppu cityscape.

The ‘Seven Hells’ of this Japanese town feel more like heaven

Part spa town, part post-apocalyptic film, the theatrical town of Beppu is like nowhere else.

  • Kerry van der Jagt
Nagoya doesn’t live up to its boring reputation.

I visited ‘Japan’s most boring city’ and found it was the opposite

The highlight of this city is not what it has, but what it doesn’t have: tourists.

  • Paul Marshall
Traditional Japanese udon noodles with soft boiled eggs.

The best way to eat udon noodles is something we don’t do in Australia

Hot udon noodles are great, but for the true, unadulterated taste of udon, try them cold.

  • Ben Groundwater
Shogun-era Matsumoto Castle.

Want a taste of Shogun-era Japan? It’s harder to find than you’d think

There’s not much shogun-era history left in Japan but Matsumoto, north-west of Tokyo, is a great place to relive samurai rule and shogunate warfare.

  • Ben Groundwater
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Seiganto-ji Temple and Nachi waterfall, a short walk on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route.

Japan’s extraordinary answer to the Camino trail

Japan’s Kumano Kodo is one of only two UNESCO World Heritage-listed pilgrimages in the world.

  • Rob McFarland
The bright lights of Shinjuku.

They say four days in Tokyo is plenty. I firmly disagree

You could hop from city to city, kids in tow, frantically ticking off Japan’s main sights. But here’s why three weeks of staying put in one city is perfect.

  • Barry Divola
Pork katsu curry at  KARE, West Melbourne.

Japan’s version of curry came from India, but not Indians

Served one of four ways, the dish containing rich gravy is mild in spice but heavy on umami.

  • Ben Groundwater
To the point … the Lamp Light Books Hotel is, well, an open book.

Sleeping in a bookstore seems romantic, but the reality is no fairytale

It’s an affordable stay in expensive Japan, which is a plus. But the room is functional and not much else.

  • Julia D'Orazio
A long wait may be on the menu.

If there’s one bad thing about visiting Japan, it’s this

Anyone who has been to Japan has no doubt had this experience: you find a great restaurant, only to be told you can’t come in.

  • Paul Marshall

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/traveller/topic/japan-b1c