Jessica Lee's Reviews

Aomori Nebuta Festival

The Aomori Nebuta Festival is held in central Aomori City between August 2 and 7 every year and attracts as many as 1 million visitors every year. With records dating back to the late Edo period (around 1842), this historic festival is one of the Three Great Festivals of Tohoku and is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.

Aomori
Summer festivals & Events

30 Oct 2025 See More

The lanterns (Nebuta) here are absolutely massive and incredibly detailed—it's honestly mind-blowing! The lights and colors are super vivid, and they almost look like they're moving and alive. Each float has its own theme, like famous warriors or mythological characters, and the craftsmanship is just stunning.

gashacoco Ikebukuro

Just about a 2-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station, “gashacoco Ikebukuro” is a specialty shop dedicated to capsule toys. With a sales floor of about 150 tsubo (about 495 m²), it boasts around 1,500 capsule toy vending machines. The lineup spans a wide range of genres, including anime characters, Heisei retro, and food motifs.

Ikebukuro
Experiences Facilities

30 Oct 2025 See More

The colors of the chopsticks are really soft, and they feel nice to hold. You can tell they put a lot of thought into designing this gift. Little events like this make me feel the store really cares. It's so much fun to collect souvenirs while playing the capsule machines. I was genuinely happy!

Otsuka Museum of Art

The museum houses more than 1000 works, ranging from antiquity to the 20th century and collected from over 190 museums in 26 countries. The full-size faithful replicas were created using a special technology on ceramic plates. The paintings are reproduced onto ceramic plates which, the museum claims, will preserve their colors and shapes for as long as 2000 years. The museum particularly wishes, with its unique methods, to contribute to the recording and perseveration of the world’s valuable cultural heritage.

Tokushima
Museums

28 Oct 2025 See More

Instead of just seeing them in books or on a screen, you can get up close to over 1,000 famous works from 26 countries here. If you're an art lover, this place is a must-visit.

Takamori Yusui Tunnel Park

This park features a 550-meter section of the approximately 2-kilometer Takamori Yusui Tunnel, known for its abundant spring water. The tunnel's original purpose was to be part of a railway project by the former Japanese National Railways. However, the construction faced numerous water inflow incidents, leading to its eventual abandonment. Today, the tunnel has been repurposed into a park, allowing visitors to walk along the path inside and learn about the importance of water and the tunnel's history at the water museum "Yusui-kan."

Kumamoto
Parks & Gardens

26 May 2024 See More

Besides the tunnel, the park also has beautiful natural scenery, like tree-lined paths and a fast-flowing stream. It's a lovely spot for a walk or just to relax.

Kazuemachi Chaya-Gai District

Along with Higashi Chaya-gai district and Nishi Chaya-gai district, this is one of Kanazawa's three Chaya-gai districts. The area has a calm atmosphere with narrow alleys and Senbongoushi lattice fences along the Asanogawa River. It has been selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

Kanazawa
Famous Places

26 May 2024 See More

It's worth visiting both during the day and at night.

Sekai no Yamachan Main Store

The specialty of this restaurant is the "Maboroshi no Tebasaki", which would make you absolutely addicted for its spiciness and flavor of the "Maboroshi no Kosho（Phantom pepper）" and "Hiden no Tare(Secret sauce)".

Nagoya
Japanese Cuisine

22 May 2022 See More

The chicken wings at Yamachan are seriously delicious, and the miso hot pot broth is really good too! 👍

Sapporo Snow Festival

Ranked as one of the world's top three snow festivals, the Sapporo Snow Festival is a coveted winter extravaganza held every February in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The even kicked off in 1950 when local middle and high school students created snow sculptures in Odori Park. The event has since grown into a massive festival that draws some two million visitors from around the world each year.

Sapporo
Winter festivals & Events

22 May 2022 See More

The Odori Park venue is super lively and packed with people. Just a heads up—it gets colder as the night goes on.

Yojiya Blotting Sheets

These blotting sheets are a staple item of YOJIYA, the Kyoto veteran cosmetics brand founded in 1904. It’s recommended for blotting excess oil and creating an even surface before makeup touchups.

Kyoto
Cosmetics

22 May 2022 See More

These oil blotting papers from this long-established Kyoto brand are a must-buy beauty item when visiting Japan.

Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto Flagship Shop

“Nakamoto” is a famous super spicy ramen shop that has several branches. The shops are located mainly around the Tokyo area, in places like Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shinagawa. It has continued to dominate as the best spicy ramen shop. There is a rumor that countless people become more and more addicted to their ramen every time they eat it.

Akabane, Itabashi
Ramen

22 May 2022 See More

I tried the instant noodles from Nakamoto before, but having the real thing is definitely tastier. The bowl is pretty big, too. Just note that everyone has to order their own dish—no sharing allowed.

Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line

This 14.3 km long local line connects Wakayama Station and Kishi Station. Originally operated by a major operator, the line was reported to be closed due to long-standing losses. However, thanks to enthusiastic efforts by residents along the line, the local government publicly recruited a successor operator to ensure the continuation of the line, and in 2006 the line was reopened as Wakayama Electric Railway.

Wakayama
Trains & Subway

22 May 2022 See More

Stationmaster Tama is so adorable and really draws visitors from all over. There's a little Tama shop next to Kishi Station selling tons of Tama-themed souvenirs.