READERS' CHOICE: Which Airline Has The Best In-Flight Entertainment System?

As Japan marked the one-year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the island nation on March 11, 2011, the country's tourism officials report that travelers are starting to trickle back. In January 2012, Japan welcomed 700,000 international tourists, a 4.5 percent decrease compared to January 2011, according to the Japan Tourism Agency, the government's tourism promotion arm. And while the tourism numbers are still slightly down, that represents a major improvement over the 70 percent dive in tourism the country experienced immediately after the earthquake. To mark the anniversary and the recovery efforts, the Japan Tourism Agency and Japan National Tourism Organization launched a campaign called "Japan. Thank You." It is intended to communicate the gratitude of the Japanese people for the global support it has received. As the recovery continues, the nation is hoping that its famous cherry blossom season this spring can help attract even more international travelers. There are also numerous promotions in the Japan travel market intended to stimulate travel back to Japan. The Japan National Tourism Organization issues regular travel advisory updates, hoping to help travelers better understand the situation on the ground in Japan, including the threat of radiation. It reminds travelers that the radiation level in Tokyo is similar to that of New York City. The organization also has a map on its website showing where the Fukushima Daiichi Plant is located in relation to other major cities across the island. Would you still be wary of going to Japan? How come? More from Budget Travel: Wendy's Goes Gourmet in Japan How travelers can help Japan recovery Budget Travel reader reaches out from Japan

How many times have you found yourself in the midst of an I-want-to-save-this-moment-forever situation (maybe a compelling street performance in Mexico City or a sunset over the Grand Canyon) and you instinctively whip out your hand-held camera and start filming—only to go back later and discover that the results are, well, lame? If so, you're not alone. The proliferation of film devices has made it easier than ever to shoot video, but just because we have access to all of these gadgets doesn't mean that we know how to use them. In fact, according to documentary filmmaker Roger Sherman, what matters most is not what kind of recorder you're using, but HOW you're using it—a detail that's reassuring for a budget traveler like me who doesn't have hundreds of dollars to invest in the newest video device. Roger feels so passionately about this subject that he has just released a book on the matter, called Ready, Steady, Shoot: The Guide to Great Home Video. If anybody is qualified to create such a guide it's Roger—he founded Florentine Films with Ken Burns and his films have won two Academy Award nominations, an Emmy, and a Peabody. And on top of being a documentary filmmaker, he's also a cinematographer and a still photographer. I caught up with Roger yesterday by phone and he was kind enough to give us his top tips for shooting great video. Best of all, if you read these tips and you STILL have questions Roger will answer them—just write them in the comment field below by Tuesday, March 27. We'll post Roger's answers in a follow-up blog post. 5 tips for shooting great video: 1. Hold Steady Hold the camera, even a small smartphone, with two hands. Bend your knees a bit. Tuck your elbows in close to your body. Breathe slowly and don't rush your shot. Don't hit the record button until you're really relaxed and ready. 2. Don't Pan Back and Forth Most professional films are made with static shots, no camera movement at all. If you did the same, the quality of your videos would soar. Amateurs usually move the camera far too much, to disastrous results. If you need to pan (moving the camera left or right), take a quick look at the scene to determine where the energy is. Pan slowly in that direction. Let's say you're in Florence and you spot a majestic statue and a beautiful fountain. Frame on the statue and pan over to the fountain—towards the energy. That's where you'll want to move in for closer shots. Never pan left and then right in the same shot. Pan left, cut, reframe, Then shoot again, another pan if you must, but it's usually better to follow a pan with a static shot. That's the way pros do it. 3. Don't Zoom According to Roger, zooming is death. It's guaranteed to ruin your film. No one, not even pros, can hold steady a shot zoomed in all the way. Instead of zooming, walk closer to the subject, then shoot. My rule of thumb is zoom no more than 10-20% from full wide angle unless your camera is equipped with steady shot, a smoothing mechanism. Even then you can't zoom in all the way. Do a test to determine how far in you can truly hold a zoom. 4. Short Shots Most shots can be six seconds or less for statics. It all depends on what you're looking at. A beautiful view of the Grand Canyon will keep your audiences' attention longer. A close up of a piece of Murano glass doesn't need to be held as long. Think about how long you held the previous shot. It will help determine how long the next one should be. Look at your footage to learn how to pace your movie. Watching TV shows, movies, anything with the sound turned off is a great teacher. 5. Vary Your Shots Professional films are made of a variety of shots: wide, medium, close. Yours should too. Again, watch a few minutes of any movie or drama on TV with the sound off and you'll see what I mean. Many home video shooters make the mistake of shooting their films repeating the same wide shot from the same distance to the subject over and over. Boring! If we go back to the example of the fountain in Florence, we might begin with a wide shot of the whole fountain—people hanging out, kids playing. If we walk in closer, we might frame a second shot of most of the fountain with fewer people. That would be a medium shot. Going in closer still, we might frame a shot of the mermaid spouting water, a close up. Those three shots become a sequence that tell a complete story about the fountain, one that viewers will be captivated by. The best way to make great home videos is practice. Shoot a bit. Look hard at your results. Learn from your mistakes. Shoot some more. What challenges do you encounter when shooting your own home movies? What would you like to know most? Ask your questions below and we'll follow up with Roger's answers in two weeks time. SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 3 Best Camera-phones by Network 40 Unbelievable Underwater Snapshots 8 Items You Never Pack...But Should

Come on, be honest: The all-you-can-eat buffets and huge selection of on-board restaurants and cafes are among the top reasons to head to sea. A survey published last summer revealed a nugget of info that probably comes as no surprise to seasoned travelers: Cruise passengers like to eat. Nearly three-quarters of travel agents said that their clients look for added choices of unusual and special restaurants when selecting a cruise. It seems as if cruisers' appetite for more and more on-board food options is endless. Here are three new developments that they may find tempting: On the "Waterfront" One of the most exciting features on Norwegian's new ship, the Breakaway, is simply called the Waterfront. It's an open-air boardwalk similar to what one might expect at a seaside resort town, lined with shops, restaurants, and bars that are perfect for al fresco dining, as well as just browsing and strolling. The options at the Waterfront will include a steakhouse, cocktail bar, spots for seafood and Italian cuisine, a gelato station, and a Brazilian-style churrascaria. Speaking of which... More Meat, Please! When Norwegian introduced the Epic in 2010, it was the first ship to offer an authentic churrascaria, a Brazilian-style restaurant in which passadors walk from table to table serving generous slices of beef, lamb, pork, chicken and sausage. The Moderno Churrascaria restaurant concept has since been added to a few other Norwegian ships, and last month the cruise line announced that it would be rolled out fleetwide this year. The experience is a "specialty restaurant," and an added cover charge of $20 per person is required. Southern Cruise, Southern Cuisine When revamped steamboats start cruising the Mississippi this spring, they'll take to the river with an appropriately local take on food. The Great American Steamboat Company has tapped Regina Charboneau, a Southern chef and cookbook author who runs Twin Oaks Plantation B&B; in Natchez, Mississippi, to be in charge of the food on board. CruiseCritic reports: As much as possible, the line will be sourcing local ingredients -- like farm-raised poultry, sustainable seafood, pecans and produce -- from the ports on American Queen's route. A jazz brunch, offered once per cruise, will showcase baked goods, salads, roasted meats (Andouille-stuffed pork loin? Yes, please) and savory dishes like grits in a smoked tomato cream sauce, one of the decadent entrees we sampled. You also won't want to miss Charboneau's special captain's dinner. The Mark Twain-themed meal features a menu of delicacies believed to be the Missouri-raised author and food lover's favorites, including a "mock" turtle soup (don't worry, it's beef). MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: River Cruises Return to the Mississippi 6 Best River Cruise Lines 12 Top Tips from the World's Best Cruisers