Category: Life
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Matoi-no-kai – A Rising Music Community
Matoi-no-kai’s founder and his team charmed me during the Ziqqurat concert this afternoon at Saitama Arts Theatre. Their captivating performance audaciously blended traditional Japanese music, reflections about civilization, and elements of the Book of Genesis common to the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. And despite a busy sweltering summer (“only” 36℃ outside today), this…
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[LIVE] Sado Island (daily updates till 20 August)
Check this page again tomorrow for updates, and in the meantime check my stories on Instagram at @SebastienPlus 🙂 I’m on holidays on 15-20 August, enjoying Sado Island (Niigata prefecture) and its Earth Celebration annual music festival with tourism & hospitality professionals striving to make foreign leisure travellers enjoy exciting local activities and to welcome…
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[LIVE] Earth Celebration (daily updates till 20 August)
Check this page again tomorrow for updates, and in the meantime check my stories on Instagram at @SebastienPlus 🙂 I’m on Sado Island (Niigata Prefecture) to enjoy its annual music festival Earth Celebration, especially Kodo’s concerts on the evenings of Friday 16, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August. One will feature a collaboration with an…
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Rock Musical Bleach – Bankai On Stage For Manga Fans
Rock Musical Bleach was my gateway to the universe of 2.5D musicals, a genre I had never experienced. As a Bleach fan and events promoter at Japan Travel KK with a background in facilitating unique cultural experiences (Noh with projection mapping, bespoke Yuranza performances…), attending this show in Tokyo was a revelation. Fellow Bleach fans,…
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My Top 5 Pinpoint Destinations In Japan
I start my 20th year in Japan very grateful to all the kind/great people by my side here whether for 1 minute or 1 decade. Thank you! As a promoter of Japan travel & hospitality, I’d like to repay some of that kindness today by sharing my top 5 pinpoint destinations, which can all benefit…