Our Osaka Expo team supported workshops and seminars during Wallonia-Brussels Week, which showcased the charm of Wallonia, the southern French-speaking region of Belgium, to the world.

From chocolate-tasting sessions led by Belgium’s finest chocolatiers to educational seminars on AI and digital creativity, the team served as event staff, ushers, translators, and more, always bringing smiles and positive energy to visitors from across Japan and beyond.

Jarman International Osaka Expo team members:

Akane Oikawa – Project Manager
Fukiko Yoshino – Team Leader
Paul Walsh – Team Leader
Nina Cataldo – Interpreter
Junko Hosoya – Interpreter
Masaaki Imoto – Interpreter
Sebastien Duval – Trilingual Staff
Ayaka Terao – Bilingual Staff
Cecilia Reiko Mikumo – Bilingual Staff
Hana Shiraishi – Bilingual Staff

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Jarman International is excited to share that our Charity Golf Cup, held at EastWood Country Club in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture in January, has been selected for inclusion in the Times Gallery for the February edition by The Japan Times. This prestigious recognition highlights the event’s significant contribution to community welfare and sportsmanship.

The Jarman International Charity Golf Cup is more than just a golf tournament; it’s a bridge between passion and philanthropy. In our latest edition, the event not only continued its support for our new beneficiary, Sotobo-yo —a nonprofit organization promoting children’s outdoor play activities—since January 2024—but also achieved a significant milestone by raising in excess of ¥90,000 for Second Harvest Japan.

The inclusion of the Charity Golf Cup in The Japan Times’ Times Gallery not only celebrates the event’s charitable achievements but also spotlights the growing community of golfers and philanthropists coming together for a noble cause. It serves as an inspiration for more individuals and organizations to leverage their passions for the betterment of society.

To learn more about how to join us on the links this month, click HERE. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet new friends, enjoy great food, and do your part to help those in need.

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Photo courtesy of Ubaya Onsen

The Japan Times, the most widely read source of English-language news in Japan, recently published an article by contributing writer, Cassandra Lord, on her visit to Yonezawa’s Ubayu Onsen Masugataya.

Photo: Cassandra Lord

Situated some 1,300 meters above sea level and deep in the Azuma mountains, Ubayu Onsen is one of the most renowned ‘hitō (secret)’ onsen hot springs in the whole of Yamagata Prefecture. Guests can enjoy stunning views of the beautiful valley from the hot waters of the secluded open-air baths, as well as sample local seasonal cuisine such as Yonezawa carp, Yonezawa beef, or vegan dishes made with local produce.

Part of what makes hitō so desirable is the rest and relaxation they provide. They are the perfect place for people who want to reexamine themselves in a quiet environment and those seeking nostalgia in the place of a lost hometown.

The short walk up to the entrance of Ubayu Onsen gave me a taste of what was to come. The waters of a stream next to the walkway splashed down over rocks in a series of mini waterfalls, creating misty blue pools along the way. This same misty blue awaited me at the top, in a warm set of rotenburo (outdoor baths).

On entering, the staff were ready and waiting to greet me, carefully placing slippers at my feet and taking my shoes and bags. They guided me to a room: a cozy, Japanese-style space with no frills or extravagant decor — just a window onto the sufficiently extravagant autumn colors.

Before even dipping a toe into the baths, Ubayu Onsen had covered some of the core values of a true hitō.

-Cassandra Lord (The Japan Times)

Photo: Cassandra Lord

Read the full article HERE to learn more about Cassandra’s visit to Ubayu Onsen.

As an avid supporter and partner to Yonezawa, we hope it inspires international residents and visitors looking to experience a different side of Japan to choose Ubayu Onsen as a destination for their next trip!

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The lines were blurring the moment I entered through grand doors fashioned from oak, and met Ryuichi Yanagi, a bartender role-playing as a receptionist. His front desk was a droll creation: a posh leather writing mat and fancy brass pen plonked, for the duration of the Champagne-fueled check-in process, on one end of a 13-meter teak bar counter.

In November, one of our partners, Bar Hotel Hakone Kazan welcomed Nicholas Coldicott, an author who has written extensively about Tokyo’s drink and food scene across a variety of platforms including Conde Nast Traveller and Time Out Tokyo. Now, he has published a beautifully expressive and deeply insightful article on the Japan Times about his experience at Bar Hotel – a chic, James Bond-like lodge nestled in the glorious mountains of the famous hot spring town, Hakone.

Around this time, my friend opined that the bar/hotel was the best bar and best hotel we had been to. “I can relax here,” she said. “Not like in those hoity-toity places.” That’s more damning of her than those places, but her point was this: The bartenders are skilled at scaling their presentations up or down to suit their audience. Nobody felt intimidated, nobody patronized.

Check out the article, and join Nicholas on a journey of surprise and delight at Bar Hotel Hakone Kazan: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2022/01/09/food/bar-hotel-hakone/

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The livestream featured a live book reading by Alex of his very own “Lost Japan” best-seller book, which offers a fascinating insight into the Japanese landscape, culture, history and future, based on his several decades of living in the country. 

Alex discusses his thoughts on how Japan has changed over the past years, and continues to evolve. As more young people move to cities, there are multitudes of traditional Japanese crafts, architecture, thought, and knowledge that are soon to disappear. Joining in the conversation is the owner of Kamikoya Washi Studio in Yusuhara who moved to Japan from the Netherlands 40 years ago to learn the art of washi-making, which is a traditional Japanese paper. He offers his reasons for moving to Japan to help preserve the traditional craft, while John also shares his view on how he has seen the country shift based on his extensive travel across all 47 prefectures. 

This is a precious, once-in-a-lifetime conversation among some of the brightest internationals in Japan, which is sure to offer you a deeper look into Japan’s past, present and future.

Check out the livestream HERE.  

The livestream was briefly featured in the Sustainable Japan by the Japan Times (December Edition) HERE.

The post The Jarman International-organized livestream with John Daub, Alex Kerr and Rogier Uitenboogaart was featured in the Japan Times! (Kochi Prefecture) appeared first on Jarman International KK.

Rogier has been hand making traditional Japanese paper (washi) for 40 years, and anyone can learn about the beautiful craft directly from him at his Kamikoya studio & guesthouse located deep among the glorious mountains of Yusuhara town in Kochi Prefecture. 

Congratulations to Kamikoya for being featured in the Japan Times! Check out the gallery HERE.

Learn more about Kamikoya HERE.

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