Author: japanup_akane

Whenever I arrive in Japan, for my first meal do I go to a fancy sushi joint? A Michelin 3-star restaurant? An izakaya? Nope.

If you’ve ever been to Nagano Prefecture in the Japanese Alps, you’ve probably had a chance to eat one of the local specialties, a type of fried chicken called sanzoku-yaki (山賊焼き) which is usually rendered into English as “Mountain pirate (or bandit) chicken.”

The origin of this holiday would come from China. During the period Edo, March 3 was considered the day of growth and the happiness of girls.

Everything you need to know about traveling in Japan

Traffic lights in Japan are red, yellow, and blue. Or are they red, yellow, and green? Well…it depends on what you mean by blue and green.