Hello everyone, this is Hoka!

I went to Shonan's Enoshima and Enosui aquarium.
Although it is not located in Tokyo, it is one of the most popular places for people from Tokyo to spend their Summer.
By train, it is just one and a half hour trip!

Click Read More for more information. ↓

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Posted by: ultraman (May 5, 2018 7:20 AM) | Permalink

There are 4 hotels and 1 hostel in Sakura Hotel group in Tokyo.
For your information, I am going to show one popular sightseeing spot in the vicinity
of each Sakura hotel.

Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro

Tokyo Dome

7minuits from Ikebukuro station, the nearest station to the hotel, by taking subway
(Not including witing time, the same goes for other destinations bellow )

Basically, it is a covered ball park, however, many mucsical conserts are
held as well

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Posted by: Kazu (May 4, 2018 8:00 AM) | Permalink

The season of fresh green has come.
I went to Tsukuba(Ibaraki prefacture) for Bamboo shoots hunting!

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Posted by: ai (May 1, 2018 8:15 AM) | Permalink

Hellooo how y'all doinnnnn



It's in the middle of GOLDEN WEEK in Japan.

So many people have left to their vacation and I'm still here writing blog for you :D haha


One of the most popular place to visit in Japan, is Kyoto.

I visit there about an mounth ago for the first time in 8 years.

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Posted by: Rino (April 30, 2018 2:30 PM) | Permalink

Hiya!

When travelling and when visiting sightseeing spot,

you spend much more money than usual, don't you?

Yeah, the tourist rate is a bit expensive, isn't it?

Especially, restaurants around the place costs you more than you expected.

But not only the expensive ones, you'd be able to find the low priced one if you preferred.

The key is to go behind the main street :)

It's the same as to find a good restaurant even when you're not travelling, you know.

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Posted by: Aki (April 29, 2018 10:26 AM) | Permalink

Every spring, people in Japan flock to strawberry gardens for a chance to pick ripe strawberries (called 'ichigo' in Japanese) with their own hands. Visitors can eat lots of berries on the spot, or bring some home as a tasty souvenir.

Japan is home to a large number of unique strawberry varieties, some of the most popular of which being Tochiotome, Akihime, and Toyonoka, just to name a few.

Some varieties are considered regional specialties: Fusanoka from Chiba, Beni Hoppe from Shizuoka, Yayoihime from Gunma, and Asuka Ruby from Nara, are all strawberry representatives of their respective regions. Strawberry picking is a very popular weekend activity among Japanese people, typically from January until early May.

When Can Japanese Strawberries be Picked?

The best time for picking depends on the region and also the cultivation style.

・Greenhouse Cultivation: Many strawberry growers are open for business from January through Golden Week, the first week of May. However, some indoor gardens may allow picking as early as December. Colder regions tend to be open later in the season. For example, Nagano offers strawberry picking well into the end of June. In Kanagawa and Chiba, there are many places that are open during Golden Week.

・Open-field Cultivation: In rural areas with heavy snowfall, there are many farms with field-grown strawberries. Hokkaido in particular is an especially popular spot for outdoor strawberry picking, with a relatively short season that typically lasts from late June until late July.

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Posted by: Leo (April 27, 2018 10:59 PM) | Permalink

El año pasado aprovechando mi visita a la ciudad de Kanazawa estuve en la playa de Chirihama en la prefectura de Ishikawa en Japón.

Tiene la peculiaridad de que es la única playa en el país donde está permitido circular..., en coche!

Para los que disfruten conduciendo en esta playa pueden circular 8 kilometros por la arena al lado del mar, aunque digamos que es algo bastante simple la verdad es que es una experiencia única y muy chula.

Los fines de semana y festivos dependiendo a que horas he oído decir que puede haber muchos coches, lo recomendable sería ir entre semana, pronto por la mañana o a útima hora de la tarde que es cuando fuí yo, no había prácticamente nadie y además puedes ver la puesta de sol sobre el mar ya que la playa está situada mirando al oeste.

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Posted by: Manuel (April 26, 2018 1:11 AM) | Permalink

Karaoke (カラオケ) is the singing of songs to music accompaniment synchronized with lyrics displayed on-screen. It originated in Japan and is now popular around the world, especially in Asia. Karaoke is a well-liked pastime enjoyed by people of all ages in Japan, and also makes an interesting activity for tourists to Japan, especially those looking for some night entertainment. Karaoke establishments usually open from around 11:00am to 3:00am the following morning, with longer operation hours on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Modern karaoke establishments consist of multiple private rooms (karaoke boxes) that are each equipped with a karaoke player and microphones. Besides countless Japanese songs, a reasonable selection of English songs is usually available. Songs in Chinese, Korean and other languages may be available to a lesser degree. One can also order?food and drinks?in most karaoke boxes via phones that connect them directly to the reception.

Old-fashioned karaoke bars, where patrons sing in front of everyone instead of in a private environment, can also be found in entertainment districts. They tend to be small drinking places catering to a male clientele.

Where to do karaoke

Across the country, karaoke establishments can be found in numbers, particularly in?big cities. They are often located close to?train?stations. There are mom-and-pop karaoke centers, but the easiest way to enjoy karaoke is to go to an outlet from one of the more prominent karaoke chains, such as Shidax, Big Echo, Cote D'Azur or Karaokekan. These chain outlets usually offer a more up-to-date selection of songs than individual shops.

Going to a karaoke center

Although practices vary at different karaoke establishments, the general procedure for a karaoke session at a karaoke chain outlet is as follows:

1. Head to the reception counter, where the receptionist will inquire about the following points:

2. Is it your first time there? Many establishments require a registration for first-time customers. This involves filling out a simple form and showing a proof of identity, such as a passport.

3. The number of people in your group.

4. How long you expect to sing or the plan you would like to purchase.

5. An eventual initial food or drink order.

6. What karaoke player type you would like to use. Some establishments offer more than one type as elaborated further in the following section.

7. A room will be assigned according to the size of your group, and a tab will be given to you indicating your session's starting and ending times.

8. Establishments may either have the song catalogs in the rooms or have them available at the reception, in which case you would have to bring them to your room if desired. The same applies to percussion instruments such as tambourines and maracases.

9. Go to your room, pick your songs with the karaoke player and sing with the provided microphones.

10. When your time is up, bring your tab to the counter for payment or inquire about an extension.

Posted by: Leo (April 25, 2018 11:00 AM) | Permalink

Hello! Hoka here.
Sakura came earlier than expected this year.
Every year, i will take the time to visit my favorite places.

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Posted by: ultraman (April 24, 2018 12:57 AM) | Permalink

Konnichiwa--!!
Hello this is Shikamai Sakura staff.

Most tourist come to Japan would like to try some well known Japanese food,
SHISHI, RAMEN, TEMPULA, something like that.

Of course I also would like you to eat those. But ! There are delicious Japan food more in Japan!!
One of my favorites is ...
TONKATSU!



Looks yummy right? :-D

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Posted by: shikamai (April 22, 2018 12:06 PM) | Permalink