News from Japan National Tourism Organization
May-June 2009
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Coming Soon - Michelin Guide to Kyoto & Osaka
Michelin announced it will publish the Michelin guide Kyoto Osaka 2010 in October this year. Many Japanese see Osaka as the food capital of Japan and Kyo-ryori (Kyoto cuisine) as the template upon which Japanese culinary culture grows from. So no gastronomic tour of Japan would be complete without inclusion of these two cities.

Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport Opens
Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport began operation on 4 June 2009. The opening of Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport will make it easier for travellers to combine Mt. Fuji with Japan's northern and southern islands of Hokkaido, Kyushu and Okinawa. more..

New Books for Japanese Food-Lovers & Anime Fans
Sushi and Beyond is the story of Michael Booth's adventure through Japan's alien cuisines and cultures. Accompanied by two fussy eaters under the age of six, he and his wife travel the length of the country, from beer-loving Hokkaido to seaweed-loving Okinawa. Also, out this month is the Rough Guide to Anime. more..

Cheap Eats
Dinning on a budget in Japan is easy, delicious and very satisfying. Here are a few tips to keep your food bills down whilst travelling in Japan. more..

Hotel News
Recently new hotels have opened in Sapporo, Okinawa and Tokyo and Prince Hotel Park Tower Tokyo proves popular in hotel awards. Also, this summer Hotel Granvia Kyoto is offering guests a unique opportunity to enter into the secret world of the fabled geisha of Kyoto. more..

Virgin Atlantic & ANA to Codeshare from August
From August 2009, passengers will be able to book with Virgin Atlantic to travel on ANA operated services between Tokyo and London, giving them more flexibility and choice of schedules on this popular route throughout the year. more..

New Tokyo Tours
JTB introduces architectural tours of Tokyo and Tokyo Metropolitan Government start a range of 10 guided tours of the city. more..

Love & Honour DVD Out this Month
A beautiful film by legendary director Yoji Yamada, “Love and Honour" completes his acclaimed samurai trilogy. This month we have 5 copies of the DVD to give away. more..

Nara Explorer - City's First English Magazine
Visitors to Japan’s ancient capital Nara should not miss the city’s first English-language tourist information magazine. Read on to find out about some of the editor's favourite places in Nara. more..

Japanese Events & Festivals
June sees the Japanese tropics visiting the UK with an Okinawa festival in London on Saturday, 20 June. Read the full story for events and festivals taking place in Japan in July. more..

 

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April 2009
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January 2009
Coming Soon - Michelin Guide to Kyoto & Osaka

Michelin announced it will publish the Michelin guide Kyoto Osaka 2010 in October this year. The guide will offer a selection of the best hotels and restaurants in the two cities. The Michelin guide Kyoto Osaka will be available in two languages: Japanese and English. This is the second Michelin guide in Japan, following Michelin guide Tokyo whose second edition was launched last November. 

Jean-Luc Naret, Director of Michelin guides commented, "We aim to continue our international development, by publishing the first edition of Michelin guide Kyoto Osaka in October 2009. One of the best Japanese gastronomy and the cooking traditions since more than 1,200 years are in Kyoto. As for Osaka, it's the second biggest city in Japan and it has a wide and diverse gastronomic scene."

Many Japanese see Osaka as the food capital of Japan. The locals are so passionate about food that they have an expression called "kuidaore," literally meaning "to eat till you drop.” Osaka’s regional specialities include takoyaki octopus balls and puffer fish sashimi. Any foodie visiting Japan should not miss Osaka’s Dotonbori area, a neon-filled street where you can sample all the culinary delights that Osaka has to offer.

Kyo-ryori (Kyoto cuisine) is the template upon which Japanese culinary culture grows from. The cuisine places great import on seasonal ingredients and subtle flavours. Regional specialities of Kyoto include shojin-ryori, vegetarian dishes developed by Buddhist monks and kaiseki-ryori, cuisine stemming from the tea ceremony. A dinning and cultural experience not to be missed in Kyoto is a night in a ryokan (traditional inn) complete with a kaiseki dinner.

Michelin inspectors have been on the ground in Kyoto and Osaka since autumn 2007. Employees of Michelin, who are experienced hospitality industry professionals, the inspectors conduct visits and anonymously dine in restaurants and sleep in hotels to judge the quality and consistency of meals and services as any other customer. The criteria of the stars are the same, whatever the country, whatever the city. In this way, the level of the selection and the value of stars are consistent in all the Michelin guides. Michelin guide covers 23 countries with 26 titles. Michelin guide Kyoto Osaka will be 27th title of the collection.