National Holidays in Japan For 2011

Japan happens to have a lot of national holidays!

As we’re still near the beginning of the year, I think it's a good time to list all the national holidays, just so you’ll know when certain services (like banking and government offices) may be unavailable.

Also, national holidays are usually the busiest travel times in Japan. As many Japanese are quite busy and committed to their work life, a national holiday presents the ideal time for them to enjoy shopping, traveling and recreation. Because of this, you might want to avoid visiting certain tourist attractions during national holidays if you’d rather avoid large crowds of people.

Here’s a list of national holidays in Japan for 2011:

January 3 New Years Day
January 10 Coming-of-age Day
February 11 National Foundation Day
March 21 Vernal Equinox Day
April 29 Showa Day
May 3 Constitution Memorial Day
May 4 Greenery Day
May 5 Children's Day
July 18 Marine Day
September 19 Respect for the Aged Day
September 23 Autumnal Equinox Day
October 10 Health-Sports Day
November 3 Culture Day
November 23 Labour Thanksgiving Day
December 23 The Emperor's Birthday

Amerika-mura: Youth Culture in Osaka

Amerika-mura, often abbreviated to ‘Ame-mura’, is a popular area of Shinsaibashi that is great for tourists wanting to observe a bit of youth culture from the Osaka region. It is also a great place for nighttime entertainment. The name of the location basically means ‘American Village’, but aside from a few western influences, it remains distinctly Japanese in every way.

Amerikamura features many retail clothing stores, restaurants and bars. The area is a lively hangout, especially during weekends and when the weather is nice. It is well known, perhaps infamous, for its popularity among foreigners and boasts an exciting nightlife.

Triangle Park lies at the center of Amemura. During the day, you can often glimpse interesting fashion trends by just passing through the area -- keep your camera handy! It’s also a nice place to take a break and perhaps get a bite to eat in between checking out shops. There are many great clothing stores in this area carrying USA, European and Japanese brands.

After you’re done exploring Amerikamura (it’s actually quite a small area), you can check out other parts of Shinsaibashi that cater to higher-end fashion, or visit the only Apple Store in Osaka.

Eat Tsukemen in Osaka

Visitors coming to Japan often look forward to eating ramen at least a few times during their stay in the country. But suppose you find yourself more interested in eating the noodles than drinking the hot soup? Fortunately, there’s a dish for that – it’s called tsuke-men, or ‘dipping noodles’.

With tsukemen, the noodles are served separately from the soup. Compared to ramen, the quantity of noodles is often much greater and the amount of soup much less.

To start eating tsukemen, it is polite to sample the noodles on their own. Similarly, one should also sample the thick broth before fully diving in. This shows appreciation for the two main elements that make up tsukemen, each of which is carefully prepared to produce the restaurant’s signature taste.

As mentioned, the soup is actually a dipping sauce for the noodles and is quite thick and heavy. One eats tsukemen by grabbing a small bundle of noodles, lifting them high from the bowl until they separate from the bunch, before dipping them into the warm broth and slurping them down.

When ordering tsukemen, most restaurants offer the noodles in various quantities (sometimes weighed in grams). In addition, one selects the type of broth they wish to have. Similar to ramen, the stock is often flavored by miso, soy sauce or various types of meat and seafood.

Tsukemen is frequently served with slices of pork (chashu) and cooked bamboo shoots. Additional garnishes and accompaniments may also be available depending on the restaurant and your ability to decipher the menu. Just remember, hand pointing and head nodding will often get you what you want if English menus are not available.

Visit The Takarazuka Revue Theater

Interested in seeing a Broadway-style performance during your stay in Osaka? The Takarazuka Revue offers lavish first-class productions that are sure to please any theater fan.

What makes Takarazuka Theater so unique is their all-female troupe, or more specifically, five distinct troupes that alternate in month long productions throughout the year. These women sing, dance and act in female or male roles depending on how they’re cast. Many find their gender-bending performances impressive and unique.

Guests of Hotel Kinki can board a train for Takurazuka from Hanku Umeda Station. The Takarazuka Grand Theater is a short walk from Takarazuka Station. Take the walkway called ‘Hana no michi’ (flower path) to reach the Theater complex.

Show tickets cost between 3,500 - 11,000 yen and can be purchased from most convenient stores, or at the ticket counter at the theater.

Inside the Takarazuka Grand Theater complex lie several cafes, restaurants and stores. Visitors come from all over Japan to see the Takarazuka Revue and many visit the gift shop to get themselves a souvenir.

And despite the theater’s western-style appearance, you can absolutely get yourself some battered octopus balls (takoyaki) from the cafeteria if you’re looking for a snack!