Osaka, Japan's third largest city after Tokyo and Yokohama, has a youthful energy to it. Locals love it for tabearuki, which literally means walking and eating at the many shotengai-covered arcades, lined with stalls and tempting street food.
The new structure is taller than the old one, meaning it won't have to open and close for boats on the river. Officials said that would happen dozens of times each year on the old bridge, and it would often get stuck and require a worker to hammer the pieces back into place.
The new trains are the first of a fleet of 94 new trains being built in Yorkshire at the moment, and will eventually replace the Piccadilly line's existing 50-year old rolling stock. However, before passengers can ride the new trains, they need hundreds of hours of testing and assurance that they will work as expected. And testing has been underway ever since the first train arrived in London last year.
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), the Daimler Truck subsidiary responsible for the FUSO brand, has announced on January 22nd 2026 plans to create a standalone bus company in Japan together with Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), marking a further step in the convergence of traditional commercial vehicle manufacturing and electronics-led electric vehicle development. Katsuto Kora, currently Director and Head of FUSO Bus at MFTBC, has been designated CEO of the future company. The new bus company will be headquartered in Kawasaki, Japan, while vehicle development and manufacturing will be carried out at the existing FUSO bus plant in Toyama. Products will be marketed under the FUSO brand.
The best train journeys in the world have an intangible allure about them. Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers. A ticket is not just a permit to ride, it's permission to trespass on the intimacies of other people's lives.
Today, Shimano introduces the latest dual-function pedal in its lineup, the PD-EH510. This versatile hybrid pedal combines Shimano's renowned SPD clip-in system on one side with a fairly large flat pedal platform on the other. This gives riders the choice between clipped-in efficiency or the freedom of flat pedals, with a versatile pedal that's ready to ride, no matter which shoes they choose.
LNER has unveiled the name and interior design of a new fleet of long-distance trains, which will be the first to carry the new Great British Railways branding when it launches in a few years time. LNER says demand on its East Coast Mainline route has continued to grow since the pandemic, with more than 24 million passengers travelling in 2024-25.
The design, which has a cycle lane between the stop and the kerb, is intended to allow bus passengers to get on and off safely while cyclists continue moving. Sarah Gayton, street access campaign co-ordinator at the National Federation of the Blind of the UK, said: "It does not address the concerns that blind and visually impaired people have and it's totally insulting to think that we'll accept this."
Travellers heading to Stansted Airport will finally be able to use contactless payments for train journeys from next month, after long-delayed approval was given to extend London's contactless system. The lack of contactless payments on the railway to Stansted Airport has often caught travellers out, as they were unaware they needed to buy a conventional ticket, and were often hit with fines when arriving at the airport. Warning signs were added at Liverpool Street ticket barriers to try to reduce the problem while waiting for contactless payments to be enabled on the service.
And while the convenience and amenities of a hotel stay may be tempting, renting an Airbnb just off the beaten path is an even better way to experience the city like a local. The bustling capital encompasses a dynamic mix of cultural sights, impressive culinary experiences, and globally-renowned shopping landmarks-from the vibrant Harajuku district to the Edo-era Senso-ji Temple-that make it one of the most bucket-listed travel destinations in the world.
From Boston headed home, I met up in the club car with members of a rock band, a secretary, a Peace Corps guy just back from India, and a retired dentist, and we partied night and day, telling stories and laughing our asses off. The Peace Corps guy had a sitar, and would play morning, noon and evening ragas as America rolled by outside.
