Japaneats その5 - ラーメン (Ramen)

With all the travelling we've been doing in recent topics, it's probably time we stop for a bite to eat. ラーメン has to be one of Japan's most successful food imports - originally from China, it's now almost as much of a national staple as its native cousins うどん (udon) and そば (soba). In its most basic form, ラーメン is a bowl of noodles in soup, but that makes it sound more boring than it is. There are hundreds of variations from instant to gourmet and with that level of diversity, Japan is bound to have the perfect ラーメン for you.

大阪 (おおさか) - Osaka

大阪 is the biggest city in the 関西 (かんさい - Kansai) area and only eclipsed by 東京 (とうきょう - Tokyo) and 横浜 (よこはま - Yokohama) nationwide. In some ways 大阪 feels worlds away from 神戸 (こうべ - Kobe) despite being so close; it's like the Sydney to its Melbourne. Where 神戸 has a smaller, closer atmosphere to it, 大阪 is very much a big city in every way.

I'll let you decide whether that's a good or a bad thing. 

日本の四つの季節その２：夏 (にほんのよつのきせつそのに：なつ） - The Four Seasons of Japan 2: Summer

夏 (なつ - natsu - Summer) is the next big season in Japan, where the grey clouds of 梅雨 (つゆ - tsuyu - the rainy season) finally give way to sweltering tropical heat. It's not all sweat and sunburn though - among other things, 夏 plays host to some of the best festivals of the Japanese calendar; balmy nights with special events, games, food and ice-cold drinks.

Grab your fan, it's going to be a hot one.

京都その２ (きょうとそのに - Kyouto sono ni) - Kyoto, part two

In my opinion, the best part of 京都 is the sheer number of things to see and do there. As I mentioned last week, there are thousands of temples and shrines, ranging from huge tourist favourites to tiny places tucked out of sight; it's easy to find something new every time you visit. Today we'll take a look at some of the slightly smaller places - still popular, but not swarming with as many people as last time. I hope you still have your walking shoes on.