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.

These Jeans from a Recycled Clothing Shop in Japan are Just Peachy

My wife uncovered a treasure in our neighborhood thrift shop: a perfect fit pair of Momotaro Jeans made in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture.

Get Outta Town! 5 Japan Destinations for Cherry Blossoms Better than Kyoto and Tokyo

With cherry blossom season the most popular for tourism to Japan, here are some alternative spots to enjoy hanami outside of crowded Tokyo and Kyoto.

Ginza Sony Park – An Architecture Driven Community and Art Space

While many companies in Japan give lip service to community space and sustainability, Sony delivers it in one of the most expensive real estate areas in the world.

Tokyo Museum and Park Guide – Northern Tokyo

Northern Tokyo, often overlooked by tourists, offers unique attractions like Rikugien and Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. Its charm lies in walkable areas, peaceful surroundings, and hidden cultural gems.

Tokyo Museum and Park Guide – The Edogawa Area

The area east of the Sumida River offers an eclectic mix of history, traditional and modern art museums and one of Tokyo’s best Japanese gardens.

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.

Why You May Never Go To Kochi (Even Though You Should)

Ask many city-dwelling Japanese if they have ever visited Kochi Prefecture in the southern part of Japan's Shikoku Island, and the reaction might include a bit of teeth-sucking. 行くにのちょっと不便だねー Iku ni no chotto fuben da ne? "It's a little inconvenient to get there,...

Escape to paradise with 14 of your closest friends

Atagoya is one of those special places combining history and luxury, the product of a young entrepreneur restoring Japan’s historic kominka folk houses.

The Miracle of the Gorin Church

How the Japanese “Hidden Christians” of tiny and impoverished Gorin Village in the Goto Islands finally got the beautiful church building they prayed for.

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.

The Insanity of 21st Century Japanese Katana Sword making

Though the clients have changed, the masters behind the craft remain the same: madmen obsessed with the quality of their blades.

Learning to Fly (A Drone)

Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. Against my better judgement, I am learning to pilot a drone. The fact that I am all thumbs when operating...