Mark Bulley

Positive growth in 2012

Despite being a shocker of a year the 2011 March disasters in Japan are now behind us, and the Japanese outbound market has been buoyant from August last year onwards. Aviation news With a growing 40% online travel market and now the introduction of LCC carriers such as Jetstar Japan, bilateral traffic from both countries […]

Positive growth in 2012 Read More »

Hidden Treasures of Buddhist Sculptures and Sacred Murals
Buddhist temples in Japan, including many popular ones in Kamakura or Kyoto, do not always display their treasured Buddhist sculptures or sacred murals to the public. However, temples in rural area are often visitor friendly, ready to display their source of pride to the visitors. Takisanji, in Okazaki City, Aichi …read more »
Temples with Character without the Crowd
While the landmark temples in Kyoto may be magnificent, they are always flooded with fellow tourists and it’s often difficult to appreciate their true serene beauty. As authentic as the ones in Kyoto, many temples in the Central Japan area* are noticeably less crowded, offering visitors a better chance to …read more »
Time-Tested and Full of Umami
Fermented foods are time-tested aliments full of Umami. The Central Japan area, being the center of action in Medieval Japan, offers two fine examples of such traditional food; Hatcho Miso and Heshiko. In Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, there still exist two traditional brewers of Hatcho Miso; Kakukyu and Maruya, each …read more »
Home of Ninja
Being the centre stage of battle during the medieval Warring Nation Period, the Central Japan area is home to two major groups of Ninja; the Iga Ninja from Mie Prefecture and the Koka Ninja from Shiga Prefecture. The Iga Ninja are famous for their loyal service to Iyeyasu Tokugawa, the …read more »
Frozen in Time – Trotting through Old Towns in Central Japan
The Central Japan area, lying right between the Eastern and the Western regions of Japan, is studded with picturesque old towns well preserved since their heyday in the19th century. Some of them are the post towns on important highways that connected Kyoto in the west and Edo, present day Tokyo …read more »