Massively popular toy dispensing capsule machines known as “Gachapon” can be found all around Japan. Named onomatopoeically “gacha” represents the sound that the machine makes when you put a coin in and twist the handle, and “pon” represents the noise of a little plastic ball falling out.

Manga Souko is a chain of second hand stores found throughout Japan. Touted as a “recycle store”, they buy and sell games, DVDs, manga, books, clothing, furniture, toys, decor, textiles, musical instruments, leisure equipment, electronics, and collectibles. With stores located in the Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa regions, you aren’t too far away from experiencing one of these magical places.

That's right. Hello Kitty is such a popular character here that she gets her own bullet train, as I discovered when I accidentally rode it.

Having never been to either of Tokyo’s Disney resorts, we weren’t sure which of the two to start with, but ended up choosing Disney Sea. Here is how we maximised our fun and minimised the waiting time.

From 8th December 2018 to 24th February 2019, the Studio Ghibli Exhibition is entertaining young and old fans in Toyama City. Come to the Toyama Glass Art Museum and soak in the magic! This creative exhibition draws visitors into an intricate maze. As you figure out your way to the exit, the world of Ghibli envelops you with a wealth of history, culture, arts and philosophy. Don’t worry about getting lost, you’ll be presented with a road map at the entrance.

Japan has a wealth of excellent, tense and exciting TV drama to offer the world. Here's the best three from the past decade.

Virtual Reality is a relatively new concept, with many experimental titles still in the works by both large companies and independent developers. VR is the future of gaming, with hand devices and headsets to take you from just watching a screen to being fully immersed in the game’s world.

At the Ishinomori Manga Museum, visitors can see a special exhibit featuring one hundred of Sanrio’s iconic characters. There is everything from cute displays of illustrations, company history, vintage character goods and merchandise, and advertisements for Sanrio’s most recent mobile dating sim, manga, and anime titled Sanrio Danshi: Never Without My Favorite Friend.

Sayama Hills is a forest park about one hour outside of Tokyo located in Saitama prefecture. It was the forest that inspired Hayao Miyazaki to create the movie “My Neighbor Totoro.” If you’re as big a fan of anime as I am, then you’ll enjoy this small hike.

The cake is not always cut in this triangle shape, but always features the same ingredients: yokan and castella.

DisneySea is a wonderful destination any time of the year, but if you find yourself in the Tokyo area during the festive season and pine for a real Christmas atmosphere, DisneySea is unrivaled.

As a Japanese movie lover, I recommend four movies which are set in Kobe and worth a watch.