eatmono JAPAN TOURISM

JAPAN

Best Japanese Drugstore Skincare Products to Buy in Japan: A Complete Guide

If you’ve ever walked into a Japanese drugstore — known locally as kusuri-ya or a pharmacy chain like Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Sundrug, or Cosmos — and felt completely overwhelmed by the walls of beautifully packaged skincare products, you’re not alone. Japan’s drugstore skincare scene is one of the most exciting, affordable, and effective in the world, yet it remains largely unknown to first-time visitors. Whether you’re landing in Tokyo for a week-long trip or settling in as a long-term expat, finding the best Japanese skincare products to buy in Japan drugstores can transform your routine without breaking the bank. Japanese skincare philosophy centers on gentle, layered hydration, sun protection, and restoring the skin’s natural barrier — values reflected in even the […]

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OSAKA

Moving to Osaka as a Foreigner: Complete Expat Guide to Apartments, Neighborhoods & Daily Life

Moving to Osaka as a foreigner is one of the most exhilarating and confusing things you can do. The city is enormous, chaotic in the best possible way, extraordinarily welcoming to foreigners, and logistically challenging in ways that no amount of internet research fully prepares you for. There are things you will need to do in your first month in Osaka — registration at the ward office, setting up a bank account, finding accommodation without a Japanese guarantor, navigating the phone contract bureaucracy — that will either go smoothly because you found the right information, or consume weeks of your time and considerable patience. As someone who has lived in Osaka as a foreigner for several years, worked through most […]

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Infomation

Osaka Street Food Tour: 10 Must-Try Dishes in Dotonbori (Complete 2025 Guide)

If there’s one city in Japan where you absolutely cannot leave without eating your way through the streets, it’s Osaka. Known as Japan’s “Kitchen” (Tenka no Daidokoro), Osaka has built its entire identity around food — and nowhere is that spirit more alive than in the dazzling, neon-lit alleyways of Dotonbori. Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or passing through on a longer Japan trip, an Osaka street food tour through Dotonbori is a non-negotiable experience. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the 10 must-try street foods, tell you the best spots to find them, and share everything you need to know to eat like a local without overpaying at tourist traps. The Top 5 Osaka Street Foods You […]

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KYOTO

Kyoto Tea Ceremony Experience: Complete Guide for Tourists (2025 Edition)

Of all the cultural experiences available to travelers in Japan, few are as quietly transformative as attending a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto. This ancient ritual — known as chado (茶道, “the way of tea”) or chanoyu — has been practiced in Kyoto for over 500 years, and the old imperial capital remains its undisputed spiritual home. But with dozens of options for visitors ranging from ¥500 matcha tastings to two-hour private ceremonies in 100-year-old machiya townhouses, how do you choose the right experience? This comprehensive guide covers everything first-time visitors need to know: what to expect, how to book, how much to budget, and which venues are genuinely worth your time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oEV8b_ATVU What Happens During a Kyoto Tea Ceremony: […]

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KYOTO

Kyoto Tea Ceremony Guide for First-Timers: Best Venues, Prices & What to Expect

If there is one cultural experience that genuinely captures the soul of Kyoto, it is the tea ceremony — a deliberate, meditative ritual that has been practiced in Japan for over four hundred years. For first-time visitors to Japan, participating in a Kyoto tea ceremony experience can feel both intimidating and deeply appealing. What actually happens? How long does it take? Do you have to kneel the entire time? Is it worth the price? These are the questions that every first-timer asks, and this honest guide answers all of them. The Kyoto tea ceremony experience ranges from brief tourist-oriented sessions at Gion teahouses to in-depth two-hour workshops where you learn the fundamental movements of chado — the Way of Tea. […]

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