The TokyoNerd Official Blog

It’s not just Tokyo, but all across Japan the amount of foreign tourists are increasing. The  2020 Olympics  are to be set in Tokyo, and because of that the Japan National Tourist Organization is putting a lot of time into showing off how attractive Japan is and trying to bring many more people to visit the land of the rising sun. It’s nice to see the amount of people in Japan increase and many getting to enjoy this country that I love. Having said that, there are many people now who are coming to Japan strictly for the purpose of shopping and don’t bother trying to come into any sort of contact with Japanese culture. Because of this, depending on the location, there are many spots in Japan where the amount of foreign visitors who don’t respect Japanese culture and don’t act as Japanese people do are increasing. Seeing as Tokyo is the most visited city in Japan, there are many places here in where there are so many foreigners that are (at least I find) difficult to enjoy. In...

For those of you from Tokyo, I have no doubt that you’ve visited the city of Hachioji. There isn’t really much to do in Hachioji, so I have no doubt that not so many people from Tokyo have gone sightseeing there. However, what the city of Hachioji does have is Mt. Takao , measuring at 599 meters tall. It’s a very easy mountain to climb and there’s lots of delicious food that can be enjoyed along the way there. Because of this, many people climb it each year. I’ve hear it somewhere, but Mt. Takao is apparently the most climbed mountain in the entire world. Anyway, Mt. Takao is famous for soba, but it doesn’t stop there, there’s also a type of miso soup with nameko mushrooms in it known as なめこ汁 ( nameko jiru ) as well as 三福団子 ( mitsu fuku dango ) , a type of boiled or steamed balls of (rice) flour. It’s not just at the top of the mountain, but you can enjoy a number of foods as you climb up the mountain. Last year an acquaintance of mine from one of the many volunteer trips I’...