Tag: travel news canada

The Music and Community of Sado Island’s Earth Celebration Festival

Yudi Pratama, July 1, 2023

Sado Island’s Earth Celebration, one of Japan’s most anticipated music festivals, welcomes musicians, artists and spectators from around Japan and the world every August. In 2019, the event brought around 35,000 attendees to the island.

This year will mark the festival’s 36th anniversary, and festivalgoers will be spoiled for choice with a myriad of activities and performances planned to take place from August 18 to 20, 2023.

Photo by Kota Yoshida

The Beat of Sado Island

While Earth Celebration is a music festival at its core, the event also features outdoor activities, markets and cultural events inspired by Sado Island. The Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble and Sado city hosted the event, which started as an initiative to showcase and share the unique local culture of this region of Niigata Prefecture. In the fall 1983 edition of “Kodo,” the taiko group’s newsletter, founding member and spiritual pillar Toshio Kawauchi discussed

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A dream New York tour turns into a Montreal airport nightmare for NL teens

Yudi Pratama, June 30, 2023

Air Canada is apologizing for a situation that saw nearly three dozen teenagers from Conception Bay North, along with their five adult chaperones, stranded for three days in Montreal, dashing their hopes of visiting New York City.

The travel company that arranged the tour, henceforth, is not commenting.

But despite the unpleasant experience, the students remain determined to one day visit the city that’s famous for its arts scene and iconic landmarks.

In a statement to CBC News, an unnamed Air Canada spokesperson blamed unfavorable weather conditions and a shortage of air crew for what the airline described as a regrettable situation.

And since most flights are booked because of the busy summer travel season, the airline said its ability to rebook customers following a flight cancellation is limited, especially for large groups.

“As a result, we were unable to transport these customers as planned and we have apologized for

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Minobusan: A Sacred Mountain and a Peaceful Mountainside Retreat

Yudi Pratama, June 30, 2023

For over 700 years, worshippers have visited Minobusan, one of Japan’s most sacred mountains. An imposing sanmon gate welcomes visitors to Kuonji, the heartland of Nichiren Buddhism, while the scent of towering cedar trees helps relieve the arduous climb up the 287 “steps of enlightenment” to the temple’s main hall. Guests staying at nearby Kakurinbo, a popular temple lodging, and its sister property, Guest Villa Ebisuya, are encouraged to take this same pilgrimage, if only to savor the view from Kuonji’s extensive grounds and catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji from the mountain’s peak.

Elements of Tradition

As an important satellite temple, Kakurinbo has accommodated visiting priests and pilgrims for over 550 years. Today, Kakurinbo offers a place of relaxation for tourists and worshipers alike while maintaining a traditional environment in which guests may enjoy local cuisine and cultural experiences. Visitors to Minobusan can also choose to stay at

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Feds table bill to tackle travel chaos as summer season ramps up – National

Yudi Pratama, June 24, 2023

The federal government moved this week to bolster accountability at airports, introducing new legislation that would compel them to cough up more information on their performance.

Tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the bill paved the way for new rules requiring airports and other airport operators to create service standards and publish data that can be compared against those benchmarks.

The standards could track outcomes ranging from security screening wait times to how long it takes luggage to reach the carousel.

“It’s no secret that the challenges of the last few years have impacted transportation systems here in Canada and globally. As we head into another busy travel season, we have seen how a disruption at one end of the system can have effects across the entire network,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a release.

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“Together, the measures in this proposed legislation will

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An Encounter with Elegance at The Westin Miyako Kyoto

Yudi Pratama, June 21, 2023

Wit a variety of sacred sights drawing in millions of visitors each year, Japan’s former capital has several luxury accommodation options, although few could ever claim to encapsulate the area’s history quite like The Westin Miyako Kyoto. Situated on a hillside in Keage, where Lake Biwa flows into Kyoto, the hotel offers a one-of-a-kind stay for anyone looking to experience the best of Kyoto, both past and present.

Ties with Nature

Setting foot in the lobby, guests will be met with smooth marble, lush greenery and sparkling ceiling art pieces that reflect an astonishing level of design. This attentive nature is further displayed through the hotel’s staff members, who welcome guests with warm enthusiasm. While these aspects alone are enough to warrant a stay, it’s the traditional Japanese annex Kasui-en that sets The Westin Miyako Kyoto apart.

Set on the site of a villa previously belonging to Taisho-era Prime

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Wajima City: A Home to Festivals of Fire and Light

Yudi Pratama, June 18, 2023

Located in the picturesque Ishikawa Prefecture, the Noto Peninsula’s Wajima city is famed for its history, natural beauty, and a charming market culture that today draws in tourists from Japan and abroad. Nestled against the Sea of Japan, Wajima is also known for typically milder summers than Tokyo, making it a great place to enjoy the warmer months without being overwhelmed.

Originally founded during the Middle Ages around a temple that served as the head of the Soto Sect of Buddhism, today known as Sojiji, Wajima continues to maintain close ties with its storied history, while also offering an impressive number of things to see and do for those who visit.

Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces

Nature and Traditions

One of Wajima’s most stunning and famous scenes is Shiroyone Senmaida. A terrace of rice fields, of which there is precisely 1004, Shiroyone Senmaida is an incredible location overlooking the Sea

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48 Hours in Morioka: Culinary Delights and Nature Escapes

Yudi Pratama, June 11, 2023

Iwate is perhaps best known for its beautiful landscapes and the temple complex of Hiraizumi. However, the capital city of Morioka offers not only picturesque views and cultural and historical sites, but is also a bustling regional city with great food. Morioka offers the best of both worlds when it comes to more rural travel and should not be missed.

A trip to Morioka from Tokyo Station is only 2.5 hours on the Akita or Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen lines, making it an easy weekend getaway or mid-week trip.

Morioka Hachimangu

Day 1 – Make Your Way Downtown

Explore Iwate’s capital city and the delicious food it has to offer.

Fukuda Pan

With its main store only 15 minutes from Morioka Station, Fukuda Pan is a must for anyone visiting the city. Both a store and product name, the bread rolls of Fukuda Pan can be customized to meet your needs, from

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Changes to Restrictions on Travel and Activities in the Woods

Yudi Pratama, June 8, 2023

The Province is lifting restrictions on travel and activities in the woods in all areas except for Shelburne County and anywhere evacuation orders are in place, effective 12:01 am, Monday, June 5.

“We know that using our woods and trails is important to many Nova Scotians’ physical and mental health,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “Thanks to the weather conditions have improved in the province, but we still need to be cautious. We are keeping the burn tires in place and asking people to continue to be responsible while enjoying the outdoors.”

Activities that are now permitted include hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods. The provincewide burn tires are still in place. The fine for violating the tires is $25,000.

Evacuation orders are still in place. People are asked to stay away from all wildfire areas.

Quick Facts:

the burn

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Apple deal, MLS contract, salary, debut and everything we know

Yudi Pratama, June 8, 2023

Lionel Messi has confirmed the stunning news that he will join Inter Miami and move to the United States after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentine is now poised to become the latest superstar to feature in MLS.

Rejecting reported offers from Saudi Arabia and a return to Barcelona, Messi is now ready to touch down in the Florida city for the final stages of what has been a glittering career.

Messi may prove a transformative figure for the league just like Pele in the 1970s, with football now emerging as the second-most popular sport in the USA for participation at a pivotal moment in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup.

Here’s everything we know about Messi’s impending move to Inter Miami:

Why did Messi choose Inter Miami over Saudi Arabia and Barcelona?

Lionel Messi said in an exclusive interview to Sport and Mundo Deportivo: “I’m going to join

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Rock Around the Clock: The Stories of Tokyo’s Rockabillies

Yudi Pratama, June 5, 2023

Right under the clock tower in Yoyogi Park, time seems to have stopped, frozen in ’50s Americana. Passers-by can’t help but stop, too, mesmerized by the dance moves of the rockabillies, as if they were rock ‘n’ roll sirens in the sea of people. But they’ll say they neither stopped time nor went back in time — more like they’ve taken the hands out of the clock completely. You don’t need to know what time it is, because rock ‘n’ roll is timeless.

The rockabillies will also tell you that in Japanese, the preferred terms are rock ‘n’ roller, roller-zoku (meaning tribe or family) or, simply, roller. Harajuku has long been an epicenter for non-conformity, a safe haven for those who stand out, a power spot where you can find your people. But before there were kawaii Harajuku girls or strawberry cream crepes, there were Tokyo rockabilies with greased hairdos

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