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.

Tokyo Museum and Park Guide – The Edogawa Area

Ah, Edogawa! In Tokyo's adolescent years, when it still went by its given name of Edo, this bayside landfill was home to the city's working class, fishermen, recyclers, and manual laborers, who supported the thriving city's infrastructure. If Kyoto...

A Guide to the Eclectic World of Tokyo’s Museums and Parks

Whether you are a museum and park lover or just need something to different to do in Tokyo, this guide to Tokyo’s museums and parks has you covered.

Tokyo’s Grutto Pass – A Bargain for Museum Lovers With Many Caveats

No doubt that Tokyo’s Grutto Pass looks like a bargain for museum and park lovers. But is it really? It depends on your travel style.

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.

Fables of the Japanese Conbini

Everybody thinks they know how awesome Japanese convenience stores are, but did you also know these things?

Driving at the End of the World

This is the Iya Valley of Tokushima Prefecture, sitting at the edge of the world, sometimes just beyond it.

TRAVEL

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...

4 Personalities That Can Thrive in Tokyo

Many people in the world dream of living in Tokyo. Do you have the personality type that can thrive in Tokyo?

A Guide to the Eclectic World of Tokyo’s Museums and Parks

Whether you are a museum and park lover or just need something to different to do in Tokyo, this guide to Tokyo’s museums and parks has you covered.

The Vegetarian Food Culture of Kyoto

Kyoto is certainly rich in Japanese tradition and cultural history, but how well does it fare when it comes to vegetarian cuisine? I found out on a recent business trip to the old capital.

Disappearing In Japan

Preserving a slice of history in my own neighborhood – photos of Showa era buildings that are being torn down in the name of progress.

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...

Tokyo’s Grutto Pass – A Bargain for Museum Lovers With Many Caveats

No doubt that Tokyo’s Grutto Pass looks like a bargain for museum and park lovers. But is it really? It depends on your travel style.

Fables of the Japanese Conbini

Everybody thinks they know how awesome Japanese convenience stores are, but did you also know these things?

We, Like Ants

In thousands of years and the absence of social media, our descendants will be left wondering why we travel like we do.

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...

LIFE IN JAPAN

A Time To Grow

I’ve wished my life wouldn’t pass me by so quickly, that I would have time for myself. And now that my wish in some twisted way has come true, why am I not doing the things that I always said I would?

Tea Ceremony, Rebooted

This past weekend, I finally exhaled. Well, that was the feeling anyway, as my tea ceremony teacher along with another group of teachers and students hosted a tea ceremony event at a lovely venue in...

Long Walks in Tokyo – From Ginza to Shinjuku

As I mentioned in my introductory post, I love long walks in Tokyo. One of my favorite ways to take a long walk is to connect two stations along the JR Yamanote Line that encircles the central city....

The Long Walk – Discover the Real Tokyo Without the Crowds

During the latter part of the COVID-19 pandemic, I embarked on a new hobby: long walks across Tokyo. The pandemic itself was just a kick in the pants to get me to do something I...

Fables of the Japanese Conbini

Everybody thinks they know how awesome Japanese convenience stores are, but did you also know these things?

Workation – The Key to the Recovery of Japanese Tourism

What is workation in Japan and how will it help the Japanese tourism economy recover from the devastating effects of COVID-19 on foreign tourism to Japan?

Hello Again, 2020

With the state of emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic lifted across all of Japan as of yesterday, is it too late to salvage the year 2020?

Riding the Friendly Skies – The Skyflyer Ultra Express

To be frank, I have been a long-time customer of the Keisei Skyliner train between Narita Airport and Ueno Station and have never once had anything critical to say about its comfort and service. No...

Disappearing In Japan

Preserving a slice of history in my own neighborhood – photos of Showa era buildings that are being torn down in the name of progress.

How To Fail At Workation

The time I tried to do “workation” in Nagano in Japan and failed miserably. But perhaps it wasn’t misery I found, but a chance to truly relax.

Tokyo Museum and Park Guide – The Edogawa Area

Tokyo Museum and Park Guide – The Edogawa Area

Ah, Edogawa! In Tokyo's adolescent years, when it still went by its given name of Edo, this bayside landfill was home to the city's working class, fishermen, recyclers, and manual laborers, who supported the thriving city's infrastructure. If Kyoto was the heart of...

A Dance of Grace and Fools

A Dance of Grace and Fools

The dancers are fools, everyone is a fool, so why not dance? A glimpse at Japan’s Awa Odori festival.

We, Like Ants

We, Like Ants

In thousands of years and the absence of social media, our descendants will be left wondering why we travel like we do.

7 Essential Items For a Summer Trip to Japan

7 Essential Items For a Summer Trip to Japan

It's totally normal for many people around the world to have long summer vacations, but summer in Japan can be daunting for those who have never experienced it before, especially those coming from climates very different from Japan. Of course, the call of nature is...

Long Walks in Tokyo – From Ginza to Shinjuku

Long Walks in Tokyo – From Ginza to Shinjuku

As I mentioned in my introductory post, I love long walks in Tokyo. One of my favorite ways to take a long walk is to connect two stations along the JR Yamanote Line that encircles the central city. If you begin and end on the Yamanote Line, you can easily return from...

The Long Walk – Discover the Real Tokyo Without the Crowds

The Long Walk – Discover the Real Tokyo Without the Crowds

During the latter part of the COVID-19 pandemic, I embarked on a new hobby: long walks across Tokyo. The pandemic itself was just a kick in the pants to get me to do something I wanted to do for years.  Tokyo's Nakajin Capsule Tower...

Desperately Seeking Shoyu In Saitama

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.

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