I stare out the plane window at the twinkling lights in the darkness below. That’s Japan down there. Hitting the ground feels like victory: a…
When countries outside of Japan started to realise that Lolita fashion was a thing, I was still a kid, busy tottering around the house in…
Right now, I should be in absolute shock and wonderment. I’m sitting comfortably in the rental home of three elderly Japanese people, who have just…
The inner workings of Toby Paramor, founder of Stoke Travel and a dear friend to all at Global Hobo, is a mystery to many. Does he…
The plates circulated like a runway at fashion week, except instead of haute couture, the models were dressed in shades of raw fish, and instead…
I was in the Tokyo suburb of Shibuya when I first laid eyes on one. Nothing about my bright and hectic surroundings felt familiar to…
The trainee clerk at 7/11 gives me a nervous smile as she fumbles my items through the scanner. I wait for her to see the…
Get There: Drive to the end of Route 322 and park in the carpark — about 20 minutes from central Hakuba. At the very windy end…
Australians love Japan. We crave its sushi, we embrace getting pissed at karaoke, we marvel at the novelty of being naked in a public bathhouse….
Get There: From Happo Bus Terminal, walk to the base of the Adam Gondola. A round trip on the Alpine Line is 2900 yen for adults,…
Get There: Lake Aoki is about a 15-minute drive from central Hakuba — it’s the first of a trio of bodies of water. Lake Aoki is…
Wet necks stretch gracefully; curled tendrils trace cheekbones as heads balance above the steaming water. A wave ripples out as breasts, followed by hips and…
