As the rainy season begins to settle over the mountains of Hakone each June, an ever-popular seasonal train event returns to the tracks.

Occasionally, I like to test my luck and gamble away a few dollars. Since casino gambling is illegal in Japan and pachinko slots seem like they require a little more money to play, I go to the horses.

Ask your friends what the national sport of Japan is, and although many of them will give you the right answer (sumo, of course), some might say “it should be baseball.”

New York has the Hudson, Washington D.C. - the Potomac. London is highlighted by the Tames, while the Seine flows under the Paris sky.

Where are the best onsen hot springs in Japan? I believe it is Kusatsu Onsen.

How have sakura, or cherry blossoms, become the unofficial symbol of Japanese nature?