John Asano

John Asano is a blogger and travel writer living in Gifu, Japan. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he writes about must-see sights and attractions at Japan Travel Advice, as well as about Japanese travel and culture on his blog, Japan Australia.

  • Gifu Cormorant Fishing 2013
    October 30th, 2013By Category: Culture, Events, Travel
    Ukai or Cormorant Fishing has taken place along the famous Nagara River in Gifu for more than 1300 years. It is a traditional fishing method that uses trained cormorants to catch river fish. The samurai warlord Oda Nobunaga took the ukai fisherman under his patronage an ... » Continue Reading
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    Gifu Nobunaga Festival 2013
    October 22nd, 2013By Category: Culture, Events
    The Gifu Nobunaga Festival is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of October. The festival honours the memory and feats of Oda Nobunaga, a samurai warlord who used Gifu City as a base on his mission to unify Japan during the warring states period (Sengoku Period). It ... » Continue Reading
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    Halloween Snacks in Japan
    October 21st, 2013By Category: Culture, Food & Dining
    Autumn is one of the best times of year in Japan for seasonal food and drink. Some of the seasonal delicacies include kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) kuri (chestnuts) and satsumaimo (sweet potato). During the summer I wrote about some of the summer snacks that were available ... » Continue Reading
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    New Rice Burger at Mos Burger
    May 22nd, 2013By Category: Food & Dining, Travel
    MOS Burger (モスバーガ) is a popular Japanese fast food chain that originated in Japan. MOS stands for Mountain Ocean Sun. MOS Burger is famous for their original burger, which is called the MOS Burger. They are also famous for their unique burgers such as the MOS Rice Bu ... » Continue Reading
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    Cherry Blossoms at Sunomata Castle
    May 8th, 2013By Category: Culture, Events, Travel
    Sunomata Castle, also known as Ichiya-jo is a Japanese castle located in Ogaki in Gifu Prefecture. The castle is a replica of the famous original, which according to legend is said to have been built in one night. “Ichiya” literally means “one night” and hence the name ... » Continue Reading
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    Tulip Festival Kiso Sansen Park
    April 24th, 2013By Category: Events, Travel
    Kiso Sansen Park also called Kiso Sansen Koen is an urban city park located in Kaizu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The park first opened in 1987 and is the largest urban park in Japan. Kiso Sansen (木曽三川) refers to the three great rivers that all pass by the park. The th ... » Continue Reading
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    The Return of the Texas Burger
    February 20th, 2013By Category: Food & Dining
    McDonald’s Big America ALL STARS Texas Burger is back for 2013. The burger made its original debut in 2010 and now returns to the menu for a limited time. The Texas Burger went on sale from 1 February and will stay on the menu until the end of the month. The Texas Bu ... » Continue Reading
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    Setsubun 2013
    February 19th, 2013By Category: Culture, Events, Food & Dining
    February 3rd is Setsubun no hi (節分の日) in Japan, which is a day that marks the change of the season. The word Setsubun literally means a division of the seasons. Setsubun no hi is not an official national holiday, but it is celebrated in ways meant to drive away evil spi ... » Continue Reading
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    Sumo Japan’s National Sport
    February 18th, 2013By Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture
    Sumo is Japan’s national sport and is one of the most popular spectator sports in Japan. Its origins date back 1500 years from ancient Shinto religious rites to ensure good harvests. Sumo wrestlers are known as rikishi and compete in a 4.55 diameter ring called a do ... » Continue Reading
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    Accommodation options in Japan
    December 12th, 2012By Category: Travel
    Japan offers a wide range of accommodation from the budget to the high-end luxury. You can find accommodation in either Japanese style or Western style. In Japan there is a person rate per room, which means if you are sharing a room with another person the rate will ... » Continue Reading

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