26. July 2025

Starting in spring 2026, users of Tokyo Metro can tap in and out of station gates using their credit card or smartphone. The service will be available at all 180 stations, eliminating the need to get an IC card like SUICA or PASMO. This service is already available on some Toei Subway stations as well as the Tokyu, Keikyu and Keio lines. The press release from Tokyo Metro did not specify if it will be possible to use the contactless payment on a ride spanning multiple companies (For example,...

03. July 2025

JR Central announced that starting on July 1st, they are providing additional luggage space called "oversize baggage compartment" on their Tokaido Shinkansen service. They are located in between the cars, next to the washroom. There is no reservation required to use this space. Details on the JR Central website (in English) https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/info/oversized-baggage/ In addition, the train company continues to provide the space behind the last row of each car as "oversize luggage...

29. June 2025

12 Japanese players currently in the MLB got a specially designed manhole cover in their hometown. In Tokyo, there is a Seiya Suzuki design located in Arakawa-ku.

05. June 2025

The World Athletics Championship will be held at Tokyo's National Stadium from September 13th to the 21st. With 100 days until opening day, tickets for the evening session of day 2, 7, 8 and 9 are already sold out. September will be an exciting time for sports fans in Tokyo. The September sumo tournament will be held from the 14th to the 28th. Regular season games are scheduled almost everyday for NPB Baseball as well as J League soccer matches on the weekends.

10. May 2025

There are long queues for practically everything and getting reservations for the entry to the pavilions is not as straightforward as it could be, but the Expo 2025 in Osaka proved to be a very interesting experience for a fan of Japanese architecture. The Grand Ring by Sou Fujimoto has become the centerpiece of the event as the world's largest wooden structure. It provides a shelter from the heat and rain, as well as a great viewpoint for looking at the pavilions from a higher vantage point....

01. April 2025

The JR Yamanote Line will be partially closed on April 19th (Saturday) and the 20th (Sunday). The right half of the circular line that connects important areas of Tokyo will be affected the most. Be careful if you were planning to use the Yamanote Line to connect to a Shinkansen on these dates. Access to Hamamatsucho Station (Connecting to Tokyo Monorail for Haneda Airport) will be heavily impacted. For access to/from Haneda, consider the Airport Limousine Bus or Keikyu Train to minimize loss...

30. March 2025

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced this afternoon that the cherry blossoms at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine are now fully open. Normally the conditions ideal for viewing continue for around a week, so the weekend of April 5th and 6th should still be fine for viewing. From previous experience, the Sumida Park near Asakusa is always a few days behind other areas of Tokyo. Neighboring cities like Yokohama are also a few days behind Tokyo, so there will be more chances to view the blossoms by...

24. March 2025

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced today that the blossoms have opened for the cherry tree that they regularly monitor at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine. This announcement comes five days earlier than 2024. With warm weather expected through Friday, the blossoms should reach peak viewing mode within the next 5 days or so. Normally the peak condition lasts for around a week meaning the first weekend in April (5th and 6th) would be the rough deadline for enjoying them in central Tokyo. Areas...

12. March 2025

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will be playing their 2025 season opener at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19th. They also have a pair of exhibition games scheduled against the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers of the NPB. A major promotional campaign has been going off since the start of the year and ads are everywhere in the city. "MLB Tokyo Series Fan Fest" is being held at the Tokyo Skytree from March 8 until the 19th where there will be a public viewing of the games, talk shows by...

10. March 2025

Tokyo saw three snowy days in the previous week but the cherry blossom forecast remains mostly unchanged from the initial forecast with the full bloom expected around March 28th. This would mean the best viewing window would be estimated as March 27-April 3. Usually there is still an error of a few days at this point, but the upcoming two week forecast looks similar to (or somewhat above) average temperature with a good amount of sunshine, so a drastic last-minute delay like 2024 seems less...