Sharing favorite finds from across the archipelago
It's foliage season, my favorite time of year, and I am stuck in 87*F southern California. Not that palm trees aren't pretty mind you ... 😉  I'm just very excited to head back to Japan in two weeks to catch the autumn leaves in their splendor. (I'm hoping at least. It's been a bit colder... Continue Reading →
While moving is never fun, it's always a treat to discover the local library in my new home. The library has been an invaluable to resource over the years to me, and I am constantly surprised by the unique and enjoyable resources it often holds. This week, I found the book K is for Kabuki:... Continue Reading →
November is my favorite month in Japan. For much of the low-lying areas of the nation (and a few mountainous areas that have yet to turn), November is foliage month. Autumn in Japan is unlike anywhere else in the world. In my home state of Pennsylvania, our neighboring mountains turned mottled hues of rust, gold and... Continue Reading →
I had hoped to get this list up at the beginning of the week, but our hot water heater died (and flooded part of our garage in the process) and that took priority at the beginning of the month. How I wish there was an onsen or sento right down the street, like in Japan! Hopefully,... Continue Reading →
October 1st is a great day to be in Tokyo. The city celebrates Tokyo Citizens' Day by opening up numerous attractions to the public for free. If you've always wanted to see the capital's best museums, zoos, aquariums and gardens, now's your chance to do it for no charge. Many of Tokyo's top sites can... Continue Reading →
Autumn is in the air in Japan. Typhoon season has been pretty wet this year, I heard, but cool temperatures and clear skies are starting to make their appearance. The first foliage reports from japan-guide are out and Hokkaido has started off the season with brilliant colors. Last year, looking to vary things a bit... Continue Reading →
Courtney cooks up a tasty shiso salad in this month's Washoku Wednesday column! Shiso, or perilla, is an herb that is often used in Japanese cuisine but isn’t well known in the western world. There are two varieties, green and (red) purple, but the uses are very different. Green is added to dishes, salads and more.... Continue Reading →
Back in the Edo Period (1603-1868), the city of Edo (now called Tokyo) became the de facto capital of Japan. While Kyoto remained the cultural capital, the administration of the Tokugawa Shiogun operated out of Edo. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun, had already unified much of Japan; his descendants strengthened the ties between the various... Continue Reading →
Back in my university years, one of my roommates convinced me one summer that we should enroll in a yoga class. At that time, yoga was not the massive lifestyle craze that it's since become and I'd never personally taken the plunge. Our instructor was a 6 foot tall man with a soothing voice and... Continue Reading →
I've mentioned it before, but libraries are one of my favorite places. So of course, one of the first places I went in southern California was the library closest to my house. Sticking out at the end of one o the shelves was a title I had never actually come across before -Â Yuki and the... Continue Reading →
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