There are cafés all over the world, but if you want a totally different experience that exceeds typical cafe dining, you have to go to Japan – more precisely, to Tokyo!

There is an endless range of theme cafés to suit everyone. For instance, if you like animals, there are the famous cat cafés or you could try a more unusual one, such as a goat or even an owl café.

If you prefer to have your coffee served by a waiter or waitress who’s easy on the eyes, then try a maid or butler café.

For anyone looking for an even more unique experience than that, the following list of cafes might interest you. Since pop culture is everywhere in Japan, it seems only natural to have anime and manga related themed cafés. Some of them, like the ‘Animate Cafés’ (that belong to the same-named shops, famous for selling anime, manga and related goods) change their featured series every few months, while others have a fixed series and location, such as the ‘Gundam Café’ at Akihabara

Continue to read

Oedo Onsen anime and manga related shops and restaurants are a not something typical that you’d find in Japan, especially on a trip to its capital city, Tokyo. But what about an anime themed Onsen? Tokyo’s largest and most famous hot spring gives you not only the opportunity to experience a relaxing bath in a traditional Japanese setting, but also the chance to play games, buy merchandise and themed food based on your favorite anime series.

Onsen have a long tradition in Japan and are usually found in the countryside where they use naturally hot water from geothermally heated springs, often volcanoes, and therefore are differentiated from Sentô, indoor public bath houses, that use heated tab water. Onsen water is said to have healing powers deriving from the minerals that are present in it and is also very relaxing for your muscles, which is why many visitors to Japan, trying Onsen for the first time, really enjoy the experience.

Continue to read

On the 28th of December, the doors of the Tokyo Big Sight opened again to welcome thousands of people eager to spend three days in the World’s biggest marketplace for fanworks centered on anime, manga and video games.

The Comic Market, often abbreviated to ‘Comiket’, takes place twice a year, in summer and in winter, in Odaiba, an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, and is the best place to both buy and sell all sorts of anime/ manga related goods. Its main focus is the exhibition and distribution of Doujinshi, self-published magazines that are created by individuals, usually amateurs, though there are also some professional artists who like to publish material related to other manga series.

Continue to read

After the Halloween parties and celebrations are over, Tokyo and its surroundings start to brighten up for upcoming holiday season: Christmas and New Year. In the recent years, illuminations gained popularity and many people look forward to this time of year as they enjoy the holiday atmosphere created by the illuminations. Below, are some of the best illuminations in Tokyo that we think are definitely worth a visit:

Seibuen-yuenchi illuminations

Seibuen-yuenchi is an amusement park located in Saitama, accessed by Seibu-Yuenchi station or Yuenchi-nishi stations of Seibu line. It has varying attractions depending on the season; for instance, in the winter it changes into a winter wonderland.

We would recommend visiting this illumination to those who enjoy large-scale illuminations alongside music and other attractions. It is lots of fun to visit

Continue to read

Kyoto is a city known for its strong connections with Japanese traditional culture. It used to be the imperial capital of Japan and even today, it still preserves its cultural and economic importance. The efforts of the city to keep and protect its traditional culture and architecture, can be exhibited throughout the city, making it one of the favorite destinations among foreign and national tourists.

Kyoto has also succeeded in connecting Japan’s traditional culture, to its emerging modern culture. The Kyoto International Manga and Anime Fair (Kyomaf), is an event that combines Japan’s present, past and future. The grounds of the Miyakomese and the Heian Jingu Shrine provide the perfect background for this event, and gives visitors the chance to enjoy their favorite Anime or Manga within a Japanese setting. The shrine works as the perfect stage for the cosplayers to display their talent, and is a great setting for photo shoots.

Continue to read

Located northwest of the Saitama Prefecture, is the small town of Nagatoro, which has been considered a prime destination for tourists visiting Japan, since the late 19th century. Its natural beauty is such, that the whole town has been designated as a natural park by the authorities of Chichibu. Nagatoro possess its own charm, worthy of a village that has been blessed with one of the most beautiful landscapes in Japan. The Arakawa River crosses through the middle of the town, creating many sightseeing spots where visitors can enjoy some of the most fascinating scenery. Even from the moment of exiting the train station, visitors can appreciate a natural monument: a 5 km rock bed along the riverbank, which is thought to have been there for thousands of years.

Nagatoro is a place that you can easily take a day trip to. It offers a peaceful space, far away from the noisy and crowded urban life of Tokyo, giving visitors the chance to be in touch with nature. The arc

Continue to read

It’s that time of the year again, and once again, BMJ was there at the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya to bring you the best of this year’s edition of the world’s most important Cosplay event. As every year, people from all over the world travel to Nagoya to meet at the Oasis 21 in order to share their love for Japanese popular culture and to dress as their favorite character from anime, manga or Japanese videogames. The World Cosplay Summit is a great event that allows fans of Japanese pop culture to express their passion for Japan, taking their fandom one step further, by transforming themselves into their favourite characters.

This year was one of the best editions of t

Continue to read

Okinawa is often regarded as the “Japanese Hawaii”. It is a southern chain of Japanese islands and its tropical-subtropical climate makes it a great resort destination throughout most of the year (except for the rainy season (late April-early June) and typhoon season (July-August)). Okinawa also has its own culture and people welcome you as warmly as the weather. The word “Okinawa” itself means “the rope in the open sea” due to its long stretch of islands. Only 49 of the islands of Okinawa are inhabited and the remaining 111 are uninhabited.

Travelling in Okinawa

Transportation. This might be one of the challenges for those, who are planning to do backpacking in Okinawa. Unlike most parts of Japan, the transportation system in Okinawa is not very advanced, but it is quite costly. The majority of tourists commute using taxis, which can be found practically anywhere. But if you are a budget traveler you can use the car-rent serv

Continue to read

Yakushima is an island located south of Kyushu and is part of Kagoshima’s Prefecture territory. This island is one of the less built up places in Japan. Its unique tropical and rainy weather, along with its forests, mountains and waterfalls make Yakushima one of the natural wonders of Japan. Its natural beauty is such that many parts of the island have been declared as UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Yakushima has also been an inspiration for artists such as Hayao Miyazaki, who, inspired by its landscapes was able to illustrate the forests of the animated movie “Princess Mononoke.” This is why Yakushima is a must see destination not only for adventure seekers and nature lovers, but for anyone planning a visit to Japan.

Yakushima’s weather cannot be compared to the weather in any other region in Japan. It is extremely rainy, which is why, among the locals, there is a phrase that says that in Yakushima “it rains for 35 days a month.” This may sound li

Continue to read

Accommodation:

Green Guest House

Without a doubt, the best place to stay in Kagoshima is the Green Guest House. It has a very convenient location, no further than a 10 minute walk from Tenmonkan and only 5 minutes away from Dolphin Port and the ports where the ferries depart, towards Sakurajima and Yakushima. Additionally, GGH has a policy to support travelers, therefore they will always lend a hand to people visiting Kagoshima, by recommending places to visit, helping to plan a trip or even assisting with making reservations of tickets and accommodation for travelers that cannot speak the Japanese language.

The facilities of GGH are extremely clean, with available options for every budget and taste. If you are on a budget and you don’t mind sharing a room, you can pay 1,800 Yen for a night at one of the split (male and female) dormitories or 2,300 to stay in a “capsule” in the mixed dormitory. If you want to have a little bit mo

Continue to read