ken's Reviews

Hungry Tiger Hodogaya Main Store

Located slightly away from the city center of Yokohama along National Route 1 is a hamburger steak restaurant known for its unique serving style that has now spread across Japan. The main store of "Hungry Tiger" laid the foundation for the now-popular style of "final preparation (cutting) on an iron plate" in Japan.

Yokohama
Meat Dishes

28 Oct 2026 See More

The restaurant's design and food make it feel like the origin of Japan's hamburger steak restaurants. Of course, the hamburger steak is delicious, but the interior decor and the building's appearance are also really nice.

Nagaoka Festival Fireworks Display

It is one of the three major fireworks festivals in Japan and a colorful summer tradition in Niigata.

Niigata
Summer festivals & Events

23 Jul 2026 See More

Both the fireworks and the event organization itself are fantastic.
The fireworks from the viewing seats are truly impressive, and the event is run so well that you can enjoy them in relative comfort.

There are a lot of spectators, but I think going by Shinkansen or train is very smooth and convenient.
Between Nagaoka Station and the viewing area, there are plenty of places to buy food and drinks, including shops, food stalls, and local supermarkets. It’s fun to walk while imagining how you’ll spend the evening watching the fireworks.

The viewing areas are divided into many large sections, but there are plenty of signs, guidance, and staff directing people, so even if you get a little lost, you’ll definitely make it to your seat. There are many people, but they’ve put a lot of thought into keeping everyone moving smoothly, so there is less confusion and heavy crowding than you might expect.

Chinese Nouvelle Cuisine Ten-An

This Chinese restaurant has been a local favorite for more than 38 years. Building on the traditions of China’s four major regional cuisines-Beijing, Cantonese, Shanghai, and Sichuan-it serves innovative dishes inspired by ideas that go beyond conventional boundaries while preserving its signature flavors and continuing to take on new challenges. In 2024, the restaurant relocated and reopened with a fresh new look, adding a banquet hall that accommodates 70 seated guests or approximately 120 guests for a standing reception.

Fuchu, Chofu, Tama
Chinese Food

23 Jul 2026 See More

This restaurant serves authentic Chinese cuisine with creative touches in a spacious, relaxing setting. Everything is excellent—the ingredients, cooking methods, creativity, flavors, and atmosphere—and I always leave very satisfied. The Chinese pastries sold at the entrance are also high quality, and I always end up buying mooncakes.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter

This entirely new walk-through attraction lets you experience how the "Harry Potter" and "Fantastic Beasts" films were made. It is the first of its kind in Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction in the world.

Nakano, Koenji, Ogikubo, Nerima
Amusement Parks & Theme parks

22 Jul 2026 See More

This was a place where you could fully immerse yourself in the world of Harry Potter.
You can comfortably follow along and see scenes and settings from the movies, as well as behind-the-scenes details about the production. Since it’s mostly indoors, you can enjoy it anytime without worrying about the season.

When you enter, there’s a museum shop and a cafe. The museum shop has all kinds of Harry Potter-related items, so I think it’s a good idea to first look for things to enjoy during your visit, then stop by again at the end for souvenirs or keepsakes.

Once the tour starts, you follow the staff at first, but after that you’re free to explore on your own. If you take your time, it takes about 3–4 hours. There are also places along the way where you can eat or try Butterbeer, so you could easily spend a relaxing full day there. There was one smoking area inside.

Ho-Park / Ho-Koen

The site of Nagahama Castle, which was abandoned in the Edo period, was developed into a park in 1909 (Meiji-era 42). The park is named after Toyotomi Hideyoshi, also known as Ho-Taiko, who was the lord of Nagahama Castle.

Shiga
Parks & Gardens

12 Jul 2026 See More

There were food trucks and stalls near the parking lot.
Depending on the timing, it seems like they hold events in the park.
It was a nice park for a quiet walk.

Harbor Boo Niigata Ekimae Honten

Opened in March 2026, this specialty restaurant for shabu-shabu and yakiton, grilled pork skewers, is located a 4-minute walk from Niigata Station. It serves dishes that bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients, including its signature pork shabu-shabu made with Junpaku no Bianca, a branded pork variety from Niigata.

Niigata
Hotpot Restaurants

12 Jul 2026 See More

I got to enjoy delicious branded pork and plenty of vegetables in a light, refreshing way! Since there are so many veggies, it feels really healthy.

The grilled pork skewers were juicy and fantastic. I’m usually not a fan of liver, but their liver skewer was made with fresh meat and was really tasty. The skirt steak was great too.

The shabu-shabu comes with a special yuzu pepper, and the grilled pork skewers come with a homemade spicy miso with a nice garlic kick. You can switch up the flavors, which makes the meal fun and delicious.

They also adjust the side vegetables, ponzu, and spicy miso blends depending on the season and what’s fresh, like during hot summers or cold winters. You can really feel the owner’s care in making the food tasty and easy to enjoy, which is wonderful.

They have an amazing selection of sake, but also beer and chuhai, so it’s a great spot to enjoy your favorite drinks with delicious food!

There’s counter seating too, so it seems like a nice place to enjoy even on your own.