Author: Sébastien Duval
-
Rotemburo — Outdoor Hot Springs In Japan
I’m a big fan of rotemburo (露天風呂) outdoor hot springs in Japan, and warmly recommend them especially after hiking or cycling. Rotemburo views vary with: Some rotemburo are just “ponds in nature” but those part of facilities are typically partly roofed and thus suitable during rain & snow. In Kurokawa-onsen village, I even discovered an…
-
Winter In Japan
Winter is wonderful in Japan; probably my favourite season here! It’s perfect for slow & rejuvenating baths in hot springs surrounded by snowy mountains, gathering with friends (+ random encounters) at seasonal bars, photos with huge statues at e.g. Sapporo Snow Festival, frozen lakes, the gravel-like sound of waves in partially-frozen seas… And for all…
-
Kura Sushi — With Plant-Based Foods
Surprisingly, the standard menu of Kura Sushi chain restaurants in Japan includes diverse plant-based sushi and desserts. We just savoured: Kura Sushi operates 543 restaurants in Japan. Its 61 restaurants in the USA and 56 in Taiwan have different menus. In the frame of the 2025 world expo in Osaka, Kura Sushi launched an Expo…
-
Expo 2025 World Cuisines — Everywhere In Japan!
Today, world cuisines of 70 countries appeared at Kura Sushi chain restaurants all over Japan as part of a 2025 World Expo campaign. For practical reasons, each restaurant only features one world cuisine in addition to the standard menu. You’d currently have to eat at 70 restaurants to taste all the dishes… Still, that’s great…
-
Expo 2025 — See You There!
Woohoo! I just got asked to work at a pavilion of Expo 2025, the world expo taking place in Osaka from 13 April to 13 October 2025 🎉 Like during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, I’ll be dispatched by my company Japan Travel KK. I’m so glad that I live in Japan, acquired successful customer…
-
Male Geisha Met In Tokyo
The flurry of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) discussions following the start of the 2025 Trump presidency reminded me of my most surprising encounter in 20 years in Japan: a male geisha! Respect to him for overcoming stringent Japanese traditions, respect to his community for making it happen, and respect to Tricolage travel agency for…
-
Atomic Bomb Survivor Met In Nagasaki
Nowhere else in the world, and only for a few more years due to ageing… Meet an atomic bomb survivor in Japan like I recently did thanks to Nagasaki International Tourism & Convention Association! Discussing with this 90 y.o. Japanese was my most special moment of 2024 ✨ It also gave a special feeling to…
-
On Bluesky As SebastienPlus
I just created my Bluesky account “SebastienPlus“. My first post was: Hello Blue Sky! Excited to join the community 🙂 I’m Sébastien Duval, based in Tokyo. My passions include unearthing unique Japan, rejuvenating hot springs, delicious vegan cuisines… and helping develop regenerative tourism. Like-minded? Let’s chat! I’m looking forward to this fresh start on social…
-
Professional Photographer In Japan – For You, Your Couple, Your Family
Why should you hire a professional photographer while travelling solo, as a couple, or with your family in Japan? To capture your joy & surprise, frame you with selected landmarks under a specific angle, document your adventures with little-known sights appearing only at that time, during that season, with that weather… and immortalise you with…