<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[FIRST FILM JOURNEYS]]></title><description><![CDATA[Private Tokyo photo journeys for international travelers, with an English-speaking local host and professional photographer. Couples, families and solo guests welcome.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:00:50 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.first-film-journeys.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Last Order Means Earlier Than Closing Time]]></title><description><![CDATA[A restaurant may be open until 10 p.m. and still stop taking food orders well before then. The missing detail is last order.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/last-order-japan-restaurants</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9db008f42b356b0485ec33</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_7c5cd933017d42aaa30404579d9309d8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Some Ramen Shops Want You to Decide at the Door]]></title><description><![CDATA[At some ramen shops, the first question is not where to sit. It is what to buy from the machine by the entrance.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/ramen-shop-ordering-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9ddcc0338fe3cc70d5af5e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_c96310b61675496d95b03f3fd965d7ed~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Itadakimasu and Gochisosama: Two Small Phrases Around a Meal]]></title><description><![CDATA[One phrase begins a meal; another closes it. Neither needs to become a performance for visitors.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/itadakimasu-gochisosama</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9daf1c338fe3cc70d54eac</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_68a6230f431f4550881a39b2381bcd32~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Tiny Plate Beside You: How Shared Izakaya Food Works]]></title><description><![CDATA[The little plate beside your drink is there for a reason: izakaya food is often ordered for the table and shared.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/torizara-shared-dishes-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9daf87338fe3cc70d54f92</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_4c9f522b9e604488b7c386acf061378d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Japan Has So Few Public Trash Cans—and What Travelers Should Do]]></title><description><![CDATA[Japan’s streets can be very clean even when the nearest public bin is nowhere in sight. Travelers are expected to hold onto waste a little longer.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/public-trash-cans-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d5baf3dd769217693087d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_82ffafdeb9874d57961b814b5e9204e4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Platform Lines Are Instructions: How Train Queues Work in Japan]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Japanese station platform looks complicated until you realize the floor is quietly telling everyone what to do.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/train-platform-queues-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d5b78931dea863d232847</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_e006d0783bbb409cacd109005509e0e4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Is an Oshibori? Japan’s Little Welcome at the Table]]></title><description><![CDATA[Warm in winter, cool in summer: the oshibori is one of Japan’s smallest gestures of hospitality.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/what-is-oshibori-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d49fbe1e887e7e3dd1b9e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_f6055b0c38114fc4b6a754b8ed17e99f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Free Water and Tea: What Usually Appears at Your Table]]></title><description><![CDATA[A small glass of water or cup of tea may arrive before you order. It is usually hospitality, not a mystery item on the bill.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/japan-restaurant-water-tea</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9dad90c6495acaaf31e056</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_f6055b0c38114fc4b6a754b8ed17e99f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Is There a Button on the Table? How to Call Restaurant Staff in Japan]]></title><description><![CDATA[In many casual Japanese restaurants, attentive service begins when you press a button. Here is how to use it—and what to do when there is no button.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/restaurant-call-button-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d439842ccde8578ed0133</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_c96310b61675496d95b03f3fd965d7ed~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Izakaya Orders Arrive a Few Plates at a Time]]></title><description><![CDATA[An izakaya meal is not always one drink, one starter and one main course. It grows a few shared plates at a time.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/how-to-order-at-izakaya</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d5c15931dea863d232961</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_4c9f522b9e604488b7c386acf061378d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Buy a Ticket Before You Eat: Japan’s Restaurant Vending Machines]]></title><description><![CDATA[At some Japanese restaurants, the first person to take your order is a machine by the entrance.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/restaurant-ticket-machine-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d5bdee69869da5db6d5c4</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_6e52c8a7148a4cc2866b7e2f6c0f0124~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Are Japanese Trains So Quiet?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Silence is not strictly required. The shared expectation is simpler: do not make your journey everyone else’s journey.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/why-japanese-trains-are-quiet</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d5b43edb2dae1ee307652</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_3e6aa3d2ce2b47fa8c403ff2195d2e99~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Dish You Did Not Order: Understanding Otoshi at an Izakaya]]></title><description><![CDATA[The surprise appetizer at an izakaya is usually not a mistake and not necessarily free. It is called otoshi.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/what-is-otoshi-izakaya</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d4a94931dea863d2307a2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_68a6230f431f4550881a39b2381bcd32~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Do You Pay at the Table or the Register in Japan?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The meal is finished, but the final step is not always obvious. The small bill holder on your table is usually the clue.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/paying-at-restaurants-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d5c3b3dd769217693095e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_7c5cd933017d42aaa30404579d9309d8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Escalator Rule Is Simpler Than You Think: Stand Still]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tokyo left, Osaka right? The famous regional shortcut misses the safety message visitors actually need today.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/escalator-etiquette-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d5c49186b970a23b43a04</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_d59523116b014e529b5308e25428b48d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Do You Take Off Your Shoes in Japan?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The difficult part is not removing your shoes. It is noticing the invisible line between outside and inside.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/when-to-take-off-shoes-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d4ac9931dea863d23081d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_d7ea892892e84aeb93876a7670efbbf7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Should You Tip in Japan? Usually No—and That Is Completely Fine]]></title><description><![CDATA[Excellent service can make visitors reach for extra cash. In Japan, a sincere thank-you is usually the better response.]]></description><link>https://www.first-film-journeys.com/post/tipping-in-japan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9d4ab1931dea863d2307e7</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dfd99_0ea7ad51bd9244e5a0f67047df68ff37~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Masataka Kawakubo</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>