Evolution Japan Tour

Japan is not just a high-tech country producing high-tech machines. It is the first country to produce instant noodles.

Traveling between Osaka and Nagoya? Why not taking Kintetsu trains?

Hanshin Electric Railway is a non-JR, private railway company in Kansai region, which operates 4 lines in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures. Hanshin main line which connects Osaka and Kobe and three other lines are the feeder lines which are connected with the main line. One of the line, Kobe Kosoku line is actually owned by Kobe Rapid Transit Railway as the Tozai line. Kobe Rapid Railway is one of the railway companies in Japan which owns track but does not have its own rolling

There are several stations in Osaka which you can say terminal stations. The busiest terminal is Osaka station which is used only by JR. Then, Umeda station which is adjacent to Osaka station is used by private railway companies Hankyu and Hanshin, and Osaka metro. Then, Osaka Namba station which is used by Kintetsu and Hanshin, Namba station used by Nankai and Osaka metro. JR also has JR Namba station which used to be Minatomachi station till 1994. It is little bit away

KIX, three letter code for Kansai international airport is the gateway for Kansai region in Japan. Kansai region includes Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Wakayama, Nara and Shiga prefectures. The airport is located on an artificial island in Osaka bay, 5 km offshore of Seshu district of Osaka prefecture. The airport opened in September 1994 to replace the international flights for Osaka international airport. Due to overcrowded Osaka airport is located in densely populated residentia

Japanese castles can be divided into 3 categories, plains castle, mountain castle and hill castle. Definition of plains castle is that the castle is located in flat and urban areas. This type includes Matsumoto castle, Nagoya castle and Nijo castle. On the other hand, mountain castle stands on the mountain located at the isolated area. This type includes Takeda castle and Bitchu-Matsuyama castle and this type of castle is usually built as a fortress. The last hill castle

Kushiage is a meat, vegetable or seafood skewer covered with breadcrumbs and deep fried in a oil. It is eaten nationwide in Japan but it is considered as the local specialty of Osaka. Ingredients can be pork, beef, shrimp, scallop, quail egg, ham, eggplant, onion, shiitake mushroom and etc. There is a strict rule to eat the kushiage in Osaka. Kushiage should be dipped into a sauce based on Worcestershire sauce which is in a pot, but you can only dip once. The second dip is

Takoyaki is a food; snack which you must try in Japan. Although Japanese restaurants outside of Japan sometimes offer takoyaki, but it is usually the frozen ones. Tako means octopus and yaki means "to fry" or "to grill". Ingredients are not only diced octopus, but also batter(flour, egg and water), scallions, red pickled gingers and tenkasu(tempura scraps). Then, takoyaki is cooked using the special takoyaki pan; a griddle with half spherical molds. Cooked takoyaki are to