Daicha-an is an intimate venue a few hours northwest of Tokyo where a former sumo wrestler serves up traditional stew.

Ashley Gutermuth is a clean comic who does relatable bits about her life. She pokes fun at her high-and-tight haircut and seems to relish confusing people about her gender. The Best Medicine Brigade — founder and Army veteran Robin Phoenix, Christian Johnson and Gutermuth — kicks off the first performance of its Japan tour on Feb. 7 at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo.

A tropical garden near Kawazu has combined two more warm-climate fixtures to create a distinctive attraction: alligators and... bananas. Also, lily pads so huge, children could sit on them.

Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is the perfect nearby day trip, or weekend getaway, for couples, families and friends to enjoy aquatic fun. And it has no entrance fee.

Mostly known for its lamb dishes, traditional Uyghur cuisine adapted dishes from China and Central Asia. The novel combination of familiar flavors will have foodies coming back for more.

Find shimmering ocean views and up-close experiences with aquatic wildlife at Shimoda Underwater Aquarium, on the southern coast of Japan’s Izu Peninsula.

Everyones Cafe inside Tokyo’s Ueno Park incorporates its fresh, vibrant herbal abundance into its menu, particularly the drink offerings. From refreshing rosemary and mint lemonade sodas to invigorating mint-infused teas and a zippy, herbal mojito, there’s an option for everyone to enjoy.

Razzo is a quaint Italian restaurant that specializes in brick-oven pizzas and rich gelato and seems to have something for everyone on its large English menu.

Sanrokuen specializes in robatayaki, in which diners order skewers of meat, fish and vegetables, and cook them over hot coals in a hearth while seated on tatami mats.

Once a year, hundreds of ornate dolls decorate the steps of a Shinto shrine near the U.S. Army’s headquarters in Japan. For some service members, the bright displays evoke feelings of home.