Discoveries from around the archipelago
Don't laugh, but I adore tofu. I didn't until I moved to Japan and learned that those large strained blocks of mush could actually be turned into something delectable. Since then, however, I detour for good tofu, which is how I found myself at Sasanoyuki in Tokyo's Uguisudani neighborhood, a short walk from Ueno. Sasanoyuki has... Continue Reading →
Japan has a host of unique festivals, but I'll admit my eye was caught by this particular celebration's other name … the Warabi Naked Festival. Babies, mud, men in underwear and chicken fights all seem to play a part in this harvest festival in Chiba Prefecture, a short train ride from Tokyo. The festival takes... Continue Reading →
A handful of new art museums opened in Tokyo this past year, and one that immediately went to the top of my list was the Mori Building Digital Art Museum Epson teamLab Borderless … whew. Let's just call it teamLab from here on out, as most people do, and make all our lives easier. teamLab... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, my brother and sister-in-law gifted us with the board game Tokaido, a game based on the old "highway" that linked Kyoto and the shogun's capital of Edo. The game sat in our cabinet for entirely too long (5 year olds don't listen to complicated game explanations) until guilt ate away too... Continue Reading →
While I missed the bulk of the New Years celebrations this year, thanks to a timely announcement from my good friend and comrade-in-travel Excursions Japan, I attended my first ever hashigo-nori performance at Tokyo's Ikegami Honmonji Temple. Hashigo-nori is essentially a series of acrobatic contortions performed at the top of a 6-meter high bamboo ladder. The... Continue Reading →
I've only been away from Japan for slightly over two years, and even since my last visit to Tokyo a year ago, a lot has changed in the city. Development has ramped up, perhaps in preparation for the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games, and large scale complexes are making appearances in areas of the city that... Continue Reading →
It's been a few days since we arrived back in Japan and settling into life in Tokyo once more is like slipping back into your favorite pajamas - familiar and comfortable. With cheek numbingly brisk weather this week, it seemed a good time to head out and reacquaint myself with some of the city's (well-heated)... Continue Reading →
I came on the blog today with the intent of posting a list of my favorite places to go in Tokyo for foliage - at least those that aren't usually mobbed by crowds. Then a quick search made me realize that I'd written that post three years ago … and I still stand by the... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, Stonebridge Press sent me an advance copy of My Year of Dirt and Water: The Journal of a Zen Monk's Wife in Japan by Tracy Franz. I've been fortunate to review a good many Japan-themed books on this blog over the years but never before have I been privileged to review the book... Continue Reading →
