world travel news

Sayaka Shimoda: From Drift Dreams to Reality

17/10/2022samura

A fast-paced, crowd-pleasing style of racing that hinges on the continued loss of rear-wheel traction, drift racing has risen in popularity across the globe in recent decades, spurred on by the Japanese manga Initial D and Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

As with most forms of motorsport, drift racing has long been a male-dominated arena, with the most notorious and successful drivers having been men for almost the entirety of drifting’s existence. But in recent years, the sport has seen an influx of female competitors who are quickly proving that they’ve got what

Award-Winning Composer Kevin Penkin on Creating Soundtracks for Anime and Video Games

16/10/2022samura

It was always music or nothing for Kevin Penkin. Born in the UK but raised in Australia, he started off his musical journey as a flutist around the age of 7 and played classical pieces. It wasn’t until he received his first home console, a Game Cube, along with Metroid Prime that he became exposed to video game music (VGM). Penkin quickly realized the kind of music he wanted to play and it matched that of the classical greats.

Today, Penkin’s name reverberates throughout the VGM and anime industry, just as much as his music does. His career led him

Venezuelan migrants in shock and limbo after new US immigration plan

15/10/2022samura

CNN
—

“The news hit me like a bucket of cold water,” says Alejaidys Morey, a 30-year-old Venezuelan woman, who until this week was planning to start traveling towards the United States.

On Wednesday, the US announced that it is expanding Title 42 — a pandemic-era provision that allows migration officials to expel illegal migrants to Mexico on public health grounds — and unveiled a new program to allow some Venezuelan migrants to apply to arrive at US ports of entry by air with a cap of 24,000.

Both plans are designed to dissuade Venezuelans like Morey from trying to

Into the Miniature World of TokyoBuild

15/10/2022samura

Anyone who’s ever visited Tokyo will know there’s a lot more to the city than Tokyo Tower or the Shibuya Crossing. Christopher Robin certainly does. Hailing from Stockholm in Sweden, Robin creates stunning replica models of the everyday buildings that make up the fabric of Tokyo: weather-beaten police boxes, Showa-era izakaya and long-shuttered shops, all at 1:20 scale. He then shares photos of his detailed models on Instagram at TokyoBuild with almost 100,000 fans of his work. We caught up with him to find out more.

How does a man from Sweden end up making models of buildings in Tokyo?

What’s New in Tokyo: October 2022

10/10/2022samura

One of the best things about Tokyo is there’s always something new. There are creative seasonal menus and pop culture collaborations that you can find only here. Themed cafes and restaurants are all the rage too. Speaking of novelties, here’s our discovery of what’s new in Tokyo this month.

Pronto Collaboration with Spy x Family Anime

Spy x Family, the super popular anime taking Japan and the world by storm, returned with new episodes on October 2. Pronto is joining the hype with a special limited edition menu developed in collaboration with the anime. Following Pronto’s success with its

Counting the Cost of Abe’s Controversial State Funeral

01/10/2022samura

In this week’s news roundup, we focus on Shinzo Abe’s controversial state funeral that took place on Tuesday. As well as the official guests inside the Nippon Budokan Arena, huge crowds gathered nearby to pay their respects outside. At the same time, there were also thousands of protesters expressing their anger at the LDP’s links with the Unification Church and the cost of the funeral, estimated to be around ¥1.66 billion. The ceremony could also prove costly for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the government’s approval ratings continue to plummet.

In other news this week, we report on Masao Adachi’s

The Great Kanto Earthquake: Postcards of Tragedy

21/09/2022samura

This September marks the 99th year since the Great Kanto Earthquake, which remains one of Japan’s most devastating natural disasters. Followed by destructive fires and towering waves from the tsunami, this tragedy led to over 100,000 deaths and urban destruction. Since then, Tokyo has built itself back up, experiencing tremendous changes in many aspects including social, political and urban development.

There are many historical sources through which we can look at the Great Kanto Earthquake, including postcards. Unlike the postcards of today depicting beautiful tourist spots these were prints depicting ruins, dead bodies and people walking through rubble.

Just a

3 Things You Definitely Don’t Know About Toyama Prefecture

16/09/2022samura

Toyama Prefecture is home to the Tateyama Peaks, one of the most dramatic mountain ranges in Japan, and bustling bayside towns with sandy coastlines. Its capital, Toyama City, is consistently ranked among the best places to live in the Chubu region. As well as their love of kombuToyama locals are known for their relaxed and welcoming demeanor.

As a visitor to the region, there are a multitude of attractions to discover. Let us introduce you to a Toyama as surprising as it is unexpected. A rooftop playground, a dazzling glass museum and superior snow tunnels await…

1. Toyama