There was a buzz around the office here at Global Basecamps last week. As a San Diego-based company, we are so happy to get word from Japan Airlines that they will be debuting the first non-stop flights from San Diego and Boston to Tokyo. According to Japan Airlines’ press release, “JAL will begin serving the eighth most populous U.S. city, also the city with the largest Asian community currently without a direct flight to Asia, with four flights a week from December 2012 and daily from March 2013 to/from Narita [Airport].” Surely, many Southern Californians will welcome this news as an opportunity to skip a commute to LAX for any direct flights to the Asian capital.

Japan Airlines definitely had the Japanese business sector in mind when they created this route, as San Diego is the home to research institutions, universities and is closer to Tijuana, Mexico, where many Japanese companies conduct business, but this doesn’t mean that western travelers can’t take advantage of the new daily flights for their next ecotour! Not only will this make travel to Japan easier for Southern Californians, but Tokyo’s Narita Airport is also one of the major hubs for travel in Asia. That ecotour in Vietnam could only be one airport transfer away!

The churning and international youth culture of modern Japan lives, as always, beside a calming and proud cultural history unique to its islands. Tokyo is no different. Always an exciting mix of tradition and the future, Tokyo offers ancient temples amidst its modern streets, and keeps ancient traditions while embodying the 21st century.

In its nightclubs Tokyo is at its futuristic best, and the city is definitively among the world’s top destinations for night club and dance music lovers. Anyone considering authentic Tokyo tours should think about stopping by one of these locations. The following are only a few examples of what travelers might expect when venturing into Tokyo nights:

Womb opened in 2000 and has since expanded to organizing music festivals and party cruises in Tokyo Bay. The club itself is a nightly (and most afternoons and early mornings) three story music show, light show, food and drink destination with the biggest disco ball you will ever see.