Blog
Japlanning Nights - Dotonbori, Osaka
Tokyo is famous the world over for it’s neon soaked street with never ending districts of nightlife with the lights never dimming. But how about when you get out of Tokyo? Today we take a look at the famous Dotonbori district in Osaka, where you can walk along the Dotonbori Canal, and take in the sights, the world famous food and have a night out you won’t soon forget.
The Dotonbori district is one of the busiest areas in Osaka, anytime of day. With a history that dates back to 1612, when a local entrepreneur, Yasui Doton, began expanding the Umezu River with the canal to increase commerce in the region by connecting the two branches of the Yokobori River. Sadly Yasui died in the Siege of Osaka before he got to see the completion, however his cousins finished the canal in 1615. It was named by the lord of Osaka Castle, and it’s corresponding avenue Dotonbori, in the memory of its creator
Read More
Japlanning Review - Robot Restaurant
by Bryce Marley-Jarrett
In a few short years Robot Restaurant has exploded with news coverage the world over, and even a 2 show special engagement in Sydney. This one-of-a-kind dinner show is one of the most popular attractions for tourists visiting in Tokyo, for a night of entertainment, drinks and “food”, and today we will try our best to explain what you're in for, and if it lives up to hype.
Nestled in the famous Kabukicho district of Shinjuku, with its neon flooded streets and between izakayas, arcades and host clubs, Robot Restaurant stands, oddly, as one of the most touristy, cheesy and wholesome in comparison to the rest of the street’s offerings. This is one of those places you will probably hear about from a friend who’s been to Japan in the last 3 years, and typically described as a ‘must see, greatest night of your life, and something you’ll never experience anywhere else in the world’.
Read More
Japlanning Attractions - The Railway Museum
by Bryce Marley-Jarrett
As soon as you enter Japan, you will notice one form of transport reigns over all: the train. Japan has the busiest train lines in the world, with over 22.24 billion passengers using it every year and growing. Japan has a long history with trains and have had amazing technological advancements with their systems, that is where today’s attraction comes in. Today we have a guide to one of the most fascinating museums in Japan, The Railway Museum, located just an hour outside Tokyo.
Since their beginnings in the late nineteenth century, railways have been the most important means of mass transport. Since the Meiji century, the government has promoted railways as the most efficient public transport option for Japan, as a country that severely lacks it’s own fossil fuel resources, being so reliant on imports, rail was a way to move the masses with the most minimal fuels imported needed.
Read More
Japlanning Attractions - Edo Tokyo Museum
by Bryce Marley-Jarrett
Today we are visiting the ward of Ryogoku in Tokyo. The home of many things, including Sumo in Tokyo, today we are visiting one of the most impressive and biggest museums in Tokyo: the fascinating Edo-Tokyo Museum.
The Edo-Tokyo Museum opened in 1993 in the Tokyo ward of Ryogoku, this museum is the pinnacle of Tokyo history museums in the region. The Edo-Tokyo Museum takes you through the birth of the Edo period in Japan, and birth of “Tokyo” (Fun fact - Edo was the name of Tokyo before it was renamed in the Meiji period). The museum takes you through the Edo period, with life size reproductions of buildings, theatres, bridges, vehicles and more. As well as reproductions to give you a visual of a time past, they also have amazing artifacts on display from the Edo period that are priceless.
Read More