Real Japan Map

Where the real Japan lives — globally

A curated map of places where authentic Japanese culture exists outside of marketing copy. Every spot is hand-verified — not a directory of everything that calls itself “Japanese.”

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Wasabi · Japan
Daio Wasabi Farm (大王わさび農場)
Azumino, Nagano, Japan
Japan's largest wasabi farm in the Azumino plain, where you can see real Wasabia japonica grown in spring-fed mountain water — a stark contrast to the green horseradish paste sold abroad.
Cultural Institution · North America
Japan House Los Angeles
Los Angeles, USA
An official cultural institution funded by the Government of Japan, featuring rotating exhibitions of authentic crafts, design, and cuisine on Hollywood Boulevard.
Sushi · North America
Sushi Nakazawa
New York, USA
An Edomae sushi counter in New York's West Village run by Daisuke Nakazawa, a senior apprentice from Sukiyabashi Jiro, serving omakase in the Tokyo tradition.
Wasabi · Europe
The Wasabi Company
Dorchester, Dorset, UK
Europe's only commercial grower of real Wasabia japonica, cultivated in the spring-fed beds of a Dorset watercress farm and supplying Michelin-starred restaurants across the UK.
Bonsai · North America
US National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Washington DC, USA
A Smithsonian-affiliated museum in Washington DC housing one of the largest authentic bonsai collections outside Japan, including a 400-year-old white pine that survived Hiroshima.