Asia Japan

When in Kyoto: Attend a Japanese Matcha Tea Ceremony

  When in Kyoto, Japan The cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto is one of the country’s biggest tourist destinations. It’s home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites—many of them Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines—palaces, castles, geishas, and the picturesque Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.    Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony When arriving to a Japanese tea ceremony, you’ll be welcomed into a minimalist tea room lined in tatami floor mats. While each tea ceremony varies, all will require…

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Asia Japan Travel

Video Update: Beppu and Wakayama, Japan

After the hectic pace of Tokyo, Big and Small made our way down to the southern island of Kyushu to enjoy the relaxing onsen life in the hot spring town of Beppu. Here’s a quick recap of our time exploring the hells and hot springs: From Beppu, we headed back north to the island of Honshu to take in the quiet and stunning coastline of Gobo and Shirasaki in Wakayama Prefecture. We spent over two weeks in the area,…

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Asia Japan Travel

16 Things You Must Do on Any Trip to Tokyo

Within our first few hours in Tokyo, Big hit his head on the doorway to our tiny pod apartment. Small later felt a little rumbling in the bed—just a minor earthquake off the coast. Yep, we’re officially in Japan. Though jetlagged for most of our week in Tokyo, we eventually got a hang of exploring this huge, wonderfully quirky metropolis—and wanted to share our discoveries. Sure, you can see the sumo wrestlers, walk across Shibuya…

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Asia Japan Travel

Videos from Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan

Big & Small Travel are in Japan! Here’s what you’ll see in our first few videos shot in Tokyo and the nearby coastal town of Kamakura: Big purifies his hands and mouth at Kaneiji Temple in Ueno Park in Tokyo. Small samples matcha treats at Senso-Ji Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo. Spectacular images of the Great Buddha in Kamakura, a breathtaking bronze statue that’s even survived an earthquake and tsunami! The madness and glitz of Shinjuku and Shibuya in the…

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