Allan Richarz

Feb 24, 2024 | japantimes.co.jp | Allan Richarz

After 109 concerts in 20 countries, Queen + Adam Lambert’s marathon Rhapsody Tour wrapped with a Valentine’s Day performance at a packed Tokyo Dome, a venue that also saw major stars like Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift light up its stage in recent weeks. The final mini leg of The Rhapsody Tour, which hit Nagoya, Osaka, Sapporo and Tokyo this past month, provided fans with an appropriately grandiose send-off from the veteran rockers.

Feb 9, 2024 | japantimes.co.jp | Allan Richarz

If you thought your week was busy, get a load of Taylor Swift’s. First, there was a record-breaking night at the Grammys, one in which she also announced a new album. Then, a last-minute flight across the Pacific (one that you’d better not be tracking) and a wintery welcome to Tokyo after the capital’s first blizzard of the season days prior.

Jan 5, 2024 | japantimes.co.jp | Farah Fleurima |Simon Elegant |Allan Richarz |Mike Chen

For many people, the joys of winter center on strapping on skis, snowshoes or skates and getting outdoors. Of course, that is no less true in many parts of Asia. But with climates ranging from the famously snowy Japanese island of Hokkaido to the tropical forests of Malaysia, the continent offers a wide variety of wintertime delights for travelers who are seeking something different from a day on the slopes. Fresh-caught mountain trout sashimi, anyone?

Sep 2, 2023 | seattletimes.com | Allan Richarz

Since 1981, the Japan Rail Pass has provided overseas visitors with budget-friendly access to unlimited rides on the country’s local and regional lines, as well as the famed shinkansen bullet trains, which can reach an operational speed of 200 mph, at prices unchanged in decades. Indeed, visitors to Japan in 2023 pay the same unadjusted amount for a two-week rail pass as they did in 1989.

Aug 30, 2023 | nzherald.co.nz | Allan Richarz

Since 1981, the Japan Rail Pass has provided overseas visitors with budget-friendly access to unlimited rides on the country’s local and regional lines, as well as the famed shinkansen bullet trains, which can reach an operational speed of 200 mph, at prices unchanged in decades. Indeed, visitors to Japan in 2023 pay the same unadjusted amount for a two-week rail pass as they did in 1989.