22 May 2013

Tokyo

sumo

21 May 2013

TSA Pre-Check Now Speeds International Travelers Through Airport Security – Forbes.com

The average amount of time, in minutes, it takes me to get through security using TSA Pre-Check. (Photo credit: Andrew Bender)

The average amount of time, in minutes, it takes me to get through security using TSA Pre-Check. (Photo credit: Andrew Bender)

About the best news – OK, about the only good news – for air travelers in the last few years has been TSA Pre-Check, which allows passengers to speed through security at dozens of U.S. airports without removing shoes, laptop bags and light outerwear. Domestic travelers love it, but international travelers were stuck in the slow lane. Thankfully, that’s changed.

Read the rest of the story on my  Forbes Seat 1A column.

09 Nov 2012

The Mystery Island From ‘Skyfall’ And How You Can Go There – Forbes

Arriving Gunkanjima - reduced

What to do with a post-apocalyptic scene of devastation and decrepitude? Put it in Skyfall, the newest James Bond movie, and invite tourists to visit.

The scene in question is in Nagasaki, Japan, although it’s completely unrelated the atomic bombing that effectively ended World War II. That neighborhood (and the rest of the city) is now doing just fine, thank you.

This devastation is an abandoned coal mine on the wind-blown, storm-swept island of Hashima, 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of town. Nicknamed Gunkanjima (“Battleship Island”) for its silhouette, overnight it went from a thriving community to a ghost island.

Read the full story and see the slide show on my Forbes Seat 1A blog.

More Japan Travel:

01 Nov 2012

300px-Niki_Club_02

Going Hyper Local – SilverKris (Singapore Airlines)

24 Aug 2012

Helpful staff ensure a catch

Catch Your Own Dinner at Zauo, in Fukuoka, Japan

18 May 2012

Snowboarders in Niseko, Japan

The World’s Most Scenic Workouts – Forbes.com

08 May 2012

Hamamatsucho Station. 5:51am, May 9, 2012.

A Haiku for the Red-Eye to Tokyo

13 Mar 2012

Onsen

20 Reasons We Still Love Japan

10 Mar 2012

A sightseeing boat filled with tourists

One Japanese Town, One Year Later

13 Feb 2012

Miyako Hybrid

Green Stays

11 Feb 2012

Kyoto Workout

The Kyoto Workout

06 Feb 2012

iPhone

Why You Want to Lose Your iPhone in Japan

21 Nov 2011

Fred Ott's Sneeze

10 Things Every Traveler Needs To Know About Airplanes And Colds – Forbes.com

18 Nov 2011

Pagoda at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple.

Layover Guide: Tokyo Narita – Forbes.com

02 Nov 2011

Dekimasu ("I can") tags

The Best In Japanese Design, 2011 – Forbes.com