Blog
When I’m not producing content for my clients, I write and take photos about my life in Japan for fun and post the stories here.
TRAVEL
LIFE IN JAPAN
Desperately Seeking Shoyu In Saitama
Let Chiba have their giants of mass-produced soy sauce. I’ll head west to Kawagoe, where three craft shoyu makers are still creating cedar barrel-aged masterpieces of sweet umami flavor.
Where’s The Beef? Discover the Kobe You Never Knew
If Kobe Beef is all you know about Kobe, there are much better reasons to see this miraculous city for yourself. It boasts modern architecture, historical quarters, jazz influence, and a rich sake production history. Ever resilient, Kobe has rebuilt itself after the devastating 1995 earthquake, offering much more beyond its culinary fame.
Forget Kyoto and Tokyo – The 5 Best Alternative Cities for First Time Visitors to Japan
While Kyoto chokes on tourists, countless other cities and regions of Japan that are equally charming, beautiful or historic remain virtually ignored. Here are 5 amazing cities in Japan other than Kyoto and Tokyo that are easily accessible even to first-time visitors to Japan.
Gohime – The Shogun’s Daughter Who Became A Christian
Discover the story of how Gohime, daughter of the Japanese warlord who first made Christianity illegal in Japan, became a Christian herself.
How To Pack for a Spring Trip to Japan
So you're planning for the trip of a lifetime to see Japan in the Spring? So are millions of others, my friend, so let me start with the tip I always give to first-time visitors to Japan. Check off the major items on your Tokyo and Kyoto bucket lists, then hurry out...
Get Outta Town! 5 Japan Destinations for Cherry Blossoms Better than Kyoto and Tokyo
The fifth update to the annual Japan Meteorological Corporation's Cherry Blossom Forecast was released this week, with the 2024 season slated to start a day earlier than the 2023 season here in Tokyo. The full season begins from roughly mid-March in most parts of...
Could Yamaguchi City Become the New Kyoto?
In 2023, writer Craig Mod created quite a stir in the sleepy town of Morioka in Iwate Prefecture by naming it as his pick for places to visit in 2023 for a New York Times article. A media frenzy ensued (especially here in Japan, where Craig's pick completely...
How Hachiko the 100-year-old Dog Still Inspires a Nation
Japan's most beloved dog, Hachiko celebrates his 100th birthday this month, or in dog years, his 700th birthday, which is approaching Dog Methuselah years. Of course, dear Hachiko is no longer with us, having crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 1935 after faithfully waiting...
Fables of the Japanese Combini
Everybody thinks they know how awesome Japanese convenience stores are, but did you also know these things?