Kyodo News (Travel)

Old steam locomotive chugs through snowy Hokkaido

The annual run of an old steam locomotive started in Hokkaido recently with tourists treated to the sight of the smoke-billowing train whistling its way through a snowy wetland in the northernmost main Japanese island. Hokkaido Railway Co. operated the locomotive over the weekend between Kushiro and Kawayu-Onsen stations, drawing many train enthusiasts alongside the tracks, and will run it between Kushiro and Shibecha stations from Jan. 30 to March 7 in the Kushiro Wetland.

Australia approves tentative plan to close Ayers Rock to climbers

Australia has approved plans that will see the World Heritage listed Ayers Rock eventually closed to climbers, Environment Minister Peter Garrett said Friday. The plan, prepared by the Uluru-Kata Tjuta board that manages the iconic rock known locally as Uluru, has, however, put in place a number of conditions to be met before Uluru is closed to climbers.

Your Time Our Cities: Beijing's CBD links the past with the future

By Tanny Chia
Like its more glamorous sister Shanghai to the southeast, Beijing offers an eye into China's exuberant rush to step into the role of world superpower, replete with skyscrapers housing brand-name multinationals, modern apartment blocks that appear to rise up out of the ground overnight and flashy European automobiles costing many times the annual income of ordinary Chinese. Previously known more for its historical sites and being the jump-off point for visits to the Great Wall, the city was catapulted into the international spotlight in an unprecedented way in 2008 by the hosting of the Olympic Games.

Two opposite sides of Kathmandu, 200 meters apart

By Bikash Sangraula
In the early 19th century, Rana Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher built a road in central Kathmandu and named it the New Road. But there is nothing new about the road or its array of uninspiring, box-shaped buildings anymore.

'Winter Sonata' cafe in Ginza crowded with female fans

A coffee shop featuring the world of an animated version of the popular South Korean TV drama series ''Winter Sonata'' recently opened on the rooftop terrace of Matsuzakaya department store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district, attracting numerous female fans of the drama. Visitors to the cafe ''Hajimete'' (first time) are able to see a life-size figure of actor Bae Yong Joon, who starred in the original drama and does the voiceover for his character in the animated version, which sits in a chair beside a fireplace just like in a memorable scene in the drama.

Your Time Our Cities: Things to do in Colombo

Kyodo's correspondents across Asia, people who live and work in some of the most exciting cities in the world, offer their favorite suggestions of what to do, what to see and where to eat when you've got a day or half a day free in their city.
By Manik de Silva
Founded in 1864, the Galle Face Hotel, or GFH, in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo was once described by its longtime chairman Cyril Gardiner, now deceased, as ''delightfully imperfect.'' The hotel, which accurately describes itself as a ''resort within a city,'' stands in a spectacular location in the heart of downtown Colombo smack on the Indian Ocean with a mile-long green, about 100 yards wide, rolling before it.

Your Time Our Cities: Conquering one of the world's worst traffic jams to enjoy Jakarta

Kyodo's correspondents across Asia, people who live and work in some of the most exciting cities in the world, offer their favorite suggestions of what to do, what to see and where to eat when you've got a day or half a day free in their city.
By Rudy Madanir
Shocked by the actual scale of Jakarta's traffic jam? Don't you worry! There are always some ways to explore the sights, sounds and smells of the ''big durian'' amid heavy traffic congestion throughout the sprawling metropolis.

Sakhalin restores former Japanese cultural assets to attract tourists

The provincial government of Sakhalin is restoring with the help of Japanese experts buildings and other cultural assets the Japanese left behind after World War II with a view to attracting Japanese tourists. ''Most Japanese come here either to visit their ancestors' graves or historic Japanese buildings so it is important to preserve architecture of high cultural value to get more tourists (to visit Sakhalin among various reasons),'' one official with the regional government said in a recent interview with Kyodo News.

World Cuisine in Tokyo: Thai crab curry, tomato tom yam kung

Siam Heritage Tokyo is a high-end Thai restaurant said to have a following among visiting Thai VIPs. One of the popular dishes at the restaurant, also known for its night views, is stir-fried mud crab with egg and curry sauce, cooked using a whole crab.

Your Time Our Cities: Philosophy and soju in a Seoul backstreet

Kyodo's correspondents across Asia, people who live and work in some of the most exciting cities in the world, offer their favorite suggestions of what to do, what to see and where to eat when you've got a day or half a day free in their city.
By Cho Kyung Wook
When you step into this very small restaurant, you may feel like running away after finding the topics being talked about are at an extremely high intellectual level. ''Samkyungwon,'' or the House of Three Surprises, however, welcomes anyone who steps in and wants to enjoy soju with cheap side dishes.