Selena Hoy

Into the wild
Beyond the futuristic imagery of its cities, much of Japan is rural or wilderness, especially outside the Kanto and Kansai areas. In the bush you may spot local fauna, such as Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) in the mountains of Nagano, deer in Hiroshima and Nara, wild boar in the hills of Miyagi, foxes in Yamagata, and serows in Aomori. Your best bet for seeing ussuri (AKA grizzly) bears is in Hokkaido at Shiretoko national park, a Unesco world heritage site.
During the summer,...

Tea is inextricably woven into Japanese culture. It’s part of religion, art, and the rhythms of daily life. It’s enjoyed on the tops of mountains and on subway station platforms; it’s offered in meetings and at lodgings, and is sometimes served instead of water at restaurants. Its preparation ranges from dissolving a packet of powder in a bit of hot water from an electric kettle to an elaborate ceremony with specialist tools, exacting movements, and exquisite vessels. It’s even sometimes used...

Discover the top 10 essential foods to try on your next trip to Tokyo, with Good Food's guide to the best Japanese delicacies.
Taking a trip to Tokyo and want to eat your way around the city like a local? Let your tastebuds explore these local delicacies and tick Good Food's personal favourites off your list.
10 must-try foods to eat in Tokyo
1. Pour over coffee
Japan does coffee in that meticulous Japanese way – with care, love, and exquisite attention to detail. Now you can get quality espr...

In Japan, Small Children Take the Subway and Run Er...

FOB piece on bean to bar chocolate in Tokyo for Mabuhay, Philippine Airlines' inflight magazine.

Forest bathing: The Japanese background to the latest wellness fad

Pregnancy and the time just after birth can be exciting, but they also bring changes and stress. There are changes not only to the expecting mother’s body, but to the family, as well as to work and relationships. So it’s no wonder that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 10–20% of women worldwide suffer from some mental disorder during this time.
Left untreated, those mental health challenges can have long-ranging consequences. Mothers may experience depression and anxiety, and...

There’s an expression in Japanese: Aji ga aru, which means “It’s got flavor.” It describes something that’s a little used, a little time-worn, but better for it. That describes Western Tokyo. The stations along the Chuo line are surrounded by shotengai—pedestrian shopping alleys packed with tiny independent shops and restaurants—which makes strolling a special pleasure.
We’ll be walking around the Koenji area, but don’t bother getting started early: Koenji doesn’t really get going until after...

FOB piece on vegetarian/vegan restaurants in Tokyo for Mabuhay magazine.

Nearly 3000 islands dot the Seto Naikai, or Seto Inland Sea, in the Setouchi region of western Japan. Shodoshima, part of Kagawa Prefecture, is the second largest of them (after Awaji), and one of the only islands to offer much in the way of elevation. At 153 square kilometers, there are enough attractions and variations in terrain to make the island a tempting destination for both casual and more serious cyclists.
The island strikes a balance between nature in abundance and enough developmen...

Sushi is deceptively simple. It’s a compact morsel of vinegared rice and fish taking only one or two bites. Perhaps the most well known style of sushi is nigiri-zushi, or hand-pressed sushi, also known as Edomae-zushi. But what exactly is Edomae-zushi, and what does it mean now that Edo, the old name for the capital, has become Tokyo?
The idea of fermented rice and fish is an old one, coming over from the Asian continent centuries ago. Fish was packed in rice and salt to keep it from spoiling...

“Let’s play a game!” exclaims Fukuya as she pours me another drink. She and her companion, Teruha, stand at the front of a room in the Hachioji area of Tokyo in Japan on each side of a small taiko drum. “Does everyone know how to play rock-paper-scissors?” she asks. Everyone does. She then explains the rules as rock-paper-scissors with a twist— literally. She and Teruha demonstrate playing the game to a steady beat. The loser of each round must spin in a circle while the winner beats the drum...