Want to visit a neighborhood in Tokyo that will make you completely forget that you are in Tokyo? Then head for Daikanyama, one of Tokyo’s trendiest areas, tucked in between the party powerhouses of Ebisu and Shibuya. Daikanyama is one of those areas that you go to for the “feeling”, not for the sights. The … Continue reading
Last year, around this time, I took off for the mountains of central Japan. During that trip, I spent a few nights in Takayama, one of my favorite destinations in Japan. Takayama is a small city that sits at the edge of the Central Japan Alps. Takayama was renowned in the Edo Period (1603-1868) for … Continue reading
Nara is quite possibly the most popular day trip you could take from Kyoto. Many people don’t always realize that Nara was Japan’s first established capital, serving as the seat of power from 710AD to 784AD. However, when Japan’s powerful ruling families upped sticks and moved to Kyoto at the end of the 8th century mostly … Continue reading
When Tokyoites want to get away, they book it south to Kamakura and the beach. When Kyoto residents need a bit of green, they head west to the leafy suburbs of Arashiyama and Takao. Continue reading
When I worked as a tour guide on Okinawa, I spent a lot of time wandering Kokusai Street, the main thoroughfare in the city of Naha. At times kitchsy, at times beachy, and an eclectic mix of Japanese, American and Pacific island culture, a wander along Okinawa’s “Miracle Mile” is always an entertaining afternoon. Continue reading
If you haven’t been to Kanazawa, prepare to be delighted. I’ve long had this city on my to-go list mostly due to Kenrokuen, one of the top three gardens in Japan, but it turns out that Kanazawa offers a whole lot more to the average visitor. Having been spared from the bombing raids of World … Continue reading
As evening falls in Kyoto, there’s no where else I would rather be than wandering the streets of the Gion neighborhood. This is quintessential Kyoto at its best – willows and cherry trees hang over a languid canal; light filters out the slatted windows of wooden ochaya (teahouses); maiko and geisha dart back and forth on cobbled streets … Continue reading
