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I LIVE IN JAPAN / Sophia Appelbaum / Writer

Which places in Japan do you recommend that foreigners see?

Maybe Nagano! I know it’s a popular prefecture among Japanese vacationers, but it tends to be an afterthought for anyone coming from overseas, and I think it deserves to be better appreciated. Matsumoto Castle has one of the oldest original castle keeps in Japan, and it even has the cool nickname “Crow Castle”! Nagano’s onsen-loving snow monkeys are also adorable, and the wasabi farms in Azumino are fun to visit. Plus, basically everywhere you look is green and gorgeous.

I LIVE IN JAPAN / Nicholas Gardiner / Senior Wine Ambassador

What do you do in Japan? Can you talk about your job in Japan?

I first came to Japan to do Karate! I was lucky to have a Japanese instructor at my university and he recommended that I train in Japan. I trained with 2 of the most famous masters and have a 3rd-degree black belt. I studied Japanese very hard and got a very good job working for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry promoting Japanese crafts and culture overseas as well as helping with press releases and media communications. I studied wine with the Japan Sommelier Association and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and changed my career to working with wine. I now teach WSET courses at a famous wine school in Tokyo and am a Senior Wine Ambassador for Pernod-Ricard. I do training for staff, educate consumers and sommeliers, do wine-tasting events, and promote wine in general. My dream is to become a Master of Wine (Japan only has 1 MW at the moment).

LEARN JAPAN View More

JAPANESE SAMURAI / Seishu Hanaoka

Hanaoka Seishu was a doctor active during the Edo period. While studying Chinese herbal medicine, he also mastered Dutch-style surgery and other cutting-edge medical techniques. After repeatedly mixing various medicinal herbs, he perfected the anesthetic “Tsusensan,” composed mainly of mandarage (datura alba) berries and other ingredients.

FOOD View More

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Beautiful Islands of Setouchi

Let’s Visit Them All!
“Setouchi Triennale” is a big festival that is held once every three years on the islands of Setouchi. Serving as a venue, each island has lots to see not only during the festival but also other times. Here we will introduce attractive aspects of the ten islands.