Journey Through Japan

Journey Through Japan

June 5, 2025 - Chauvel Cinema
6:30PM - 8:30PM

Ben Groundwater (SMH and Age columnist)
Jane Lawson (Chef and Food/Travel writer)

An immersive cultural experience event featuring traditional Japanese food vendors, local Japanese arts and crafts and special guest presenters Ben Groundwater, travel journalist for The Age and SMH and Jane Lawson, chef/food and travel writer.Together Ben and Jane will take us on a journey through their vast experiences traversing Japan.

Drinks and canapés will be provided to guests, along with some sample drinks supplied by De Ja Vu Sake Co.

Ben will speak generally about the Japan travel experience, calling back on a few anecdotes from my travels, speaking about what makes the country unique and so memorable. Ben will also deep-dive into the following topics:

Where you to stay
The different options for accommodation in Japan: tourist hotels, business hotels, capsule hotels, minshuku, ryokan, temple stays (with photos)

Dining in Japan
The different types of food, different styles of dining, tips on how to book restaurants, how to behave when you’re in restaurants

Getting around
Public transport in Japan, tips on how to book, how to move around, shinkansen, inner-city transport etc

Language and etiquette
Common mistakes tourists make in Japan, how to tread lightly, how to travel responsibly and still have a good time.

Destination guides
Some of the most popular destinations in more detail, including what to do there, where to stay, what to eat, any insider tips or quirks for: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Sapporo/Hokkaido, Nara, Kyushu, Hiroshima

Q&A
Open up to the room for any questions or tips or advice

Proudly supported by Inside Japan: Tailor-made cultural adventures

It takes a lot to create a truly memorable holiday. That's where we come in. It is great to talk to someone who actually knows. Who has been there, stayed in the hotels, eaten in the restaurants (or is sat next to someone who has), and has met the guides. This is the experience that we channel into planning every trip.If you like to do everything yourself, then our service might not be for you. But if you'd like a personal travel planner to turn your ideas into an experience of Japan you'll be boring your friends about for years, then you'll feel right at home with InsideJapan Tours. Get in touch and come and join the Insiders.Get beneath the surface with InsideJapan Tours...

Ben Groundwater

Ben Groundwater is a Sydney-based travel writer, columnist, broadcaster, author and occasional tour guide with more than 25 years’ experience in media, and a lifetime of experience traversing the globe. He is an expert on Japanese culture and travel experiences, having visited the country countless times over the past two decades, and is the author of “Neon Lights in Tokyo”, an insider’s guide to the best of the Japanese capital.

Jane Lawson

For over 40 years, food and travel writer and former chef Jane Lawson has been besotted with Japan where she carries out immersive research, develops and hosts luxury cuisine and culture tours through her business Zenbu Travel and fossicks for treasures for her online homewares store. A keen photographer, her images feature in her books including Tokyo Style Guide and Zenbu Zen – Finding food, culture and balance in Kyoto.

De Ja Vu Sake

Deja vu Sake Company was established in 2012 to import a selected range of extraordinary quality Sake brands to the Australian market. We currently represent 11 Sake brands that offer a diverse range of products to suit all tastes and budgets

Shokunin Store

Shokunin Store is an online Japanese artisan goods store, founded by a husband and wife team, united by a shared appreciation for Japanese craftsmanship. Lindsay is an Australian landscape designer specialised in high end boutique gardens. Yuko is a Japanese “cool hunter” who is passionate about promoting Japan’s craftsmanship and artistry.