Chris' Travel Videos » Japan Travel Videos

Temples and Shrines of Nikko Japan Video Travel Guide

chris — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 06:11:03 +0000

This video travel guide highlights the Temples and Shrines of Nikko in Japan.

The shrines and temples in the Nikko area are a Unesco world heritage site, and is one of the most popular day trips for tourists in Tokyo. The shrines and temples of Nikko, together with their natural surroundings, have for centuries been a sacred site known for its architectural and decorative masterpieces. They are closely associated with the history of the Tokugawa Shoguns. This video shows the main attractions in Nikko which are the Futarasan-jinja shrine, the Tôshôgu shrine, and the Rinnô-ji temple.

Cherry Blossoms in Japan Video

chris — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:27:04 +0000

In this video we take a tour of some of the most spectacular Cherry Blossoms in the Tohoku region of Japan (near Sendai).

In this Cherry Blossom video I discuss the Japanese tradition of Sakura Matsuri. Sakura Matsuri translates to “Cherry Blossom Festivals.” In Japan there is often a “street fair” that is setup in the area in which the cherry blossoms boom. The Sakura Matsuri is most popular at night for eating, and of course drinking. Another popular tradition in Japan during the time of Cherry Blossoms is “Hanami.” Hanami translates to “flower viewing”, but is often a picnic under the Cherry Blossom trees. In the video I also show some of the traditional food eaten during Cherry Blossom season including yakitori and takoyaki.

Giant Ferris Wheel in Palette Town, Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan Video

chris — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 04:05:48 +0000

The Giant Ferris Wheel in the Palette Town shopping Center in Odaiba, Tokyo Japan was the world’s tallest ferris wheel when it was built in 1999. Standing at 340 feet tall, it was surpassed by the London Eye in 2000. In this video I take a ride on the Ferris Wheel. Check out the video:

This unique thing about this ferris wheel is that it has 4 “clear” gondolas. The entire gondola is made of clear plastic, so passengers can see straight down below the feet. I really cool experience, provided you aren’t afraid of heights. The ride takes 16 minutes, and costs 900 yen.

Japan Travel Video 2005

chris — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:45:12 +0000

I think this post somehow disappeared when I was upgrading to the latest version of wordpress, so here goes again.

I’ve re-encoded a group of my older videos for web viewing, the first of which is a trip that the wifey (or then pre-wifey) and I took to Japan in 2005. We visited Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone, and Tokyo.

Gyoza Stadium Video

chris — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 04:07:29 +0000

Ikebukuro Gyoza Stadium in the Namjatown is a portion of the theme park dedicated to Gyoza (potstickers) from all around Japan. Namjatown is in the Sunshine City shopping center in Tokyo, and is well worth a visit for the gyoza lover! In this video I visit Gyoza Stadium, and sample a few different gyoza stands. Which gyoza is out the best? Watch the video to find out!

15 minute walk from Ikebukuro Station
Hours: Daily 10:00 to 22:00 (entry until 21:00)
Admission: 300 yen (Namjatown)
Located inside the Namjatown in the Ikebukuro Sunshine City complex, the Ikebukuro Gyoza Stadium features various gyoza dishes by famous restaurants from across Japan. The theme is Tokyo of the 1950s.

Best Gyoza in Japan

Cow Tongue (Gyutan) in Sendai Japan

chris — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:13:14 +0000

Sendai Japan is the original home of Cow Tongue, aka Gyutan in Japan. This video highlights the cow tongue culture.

Yamadera Temple in Yamagata Japan Video

chris — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:29:36 +0000

Yamadera, literally “Mountain Temple”, is a temple in Yamagata Japan that requires climbing a staircase of over 1100 steps to reach the top! Checkout the video to see the climb, and the Ryūshaku-ji Temple (立石寺) at the top!

Best Gyoza in Japan

chris — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:19:34 +0000

In the city of Utsunomiya in Japan, they are crazy about gyoza! Inside and outside the train station are many restaurants that specialize in gyoza (potstickers). There’s even a gyoza statue! This video highlights “gyoza street” inside the train station, and two of the restaurants outside of the station.

1000 Year Old Cherry Blossom Tree

chris — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 02:39:57 +0000

The Miharu Takizakura (三春瀧桜) in Japan is a cherry blossom tree that is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. Perhaps even 1500 years old. It’s an amazing sight, with an equally amazing amount of tourists who come to see it. This is truly a sight to be seen! Considered one of the three best cherry trees in Japan! It is located near Fukushima in Japan… a couple hours from Tokyo.

Matsushima Bay in Japan

chris — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:00:13 +0000

Matsushima (松島) is a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. There are some 260 tiny islands (shima) covered in pines (matsu) – and is ranked as one of the Three Views of Japan. This video shows the views from the boat tour of Matsushima Bay, and also highlights three of the Islands that are accessible on foot. Matsushima is accessible via a 20 minute train ride from Sendai.