Sharing favorite finds from across the archipelago
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 →
Most of the gardens I've profiled in this category (and on this site in general) have been traditional Japanese style gardens or gardens dedicated to a particular bloom (like the iris garden outside Beppu). I'm going to break with "protocol" and write up a modern garden I discovered only a short walk from my home... Continue Reading →
The days surrounding the New Year are a remarkably difficult time to travel in Japan and yet for some reason last month, I went ahead and planned a trip anyway. I really should have known better but I was certain that something would be open in the city of Niigata, where we were to spend December... Continue Reading →
Since moving to Tokyo, I've had the pleasure of connecting with many people who share my interests, particularly in the food and garden category. One of those new acquaintances is Anika, who is part of the team behind Real Japanese Gardens. After exchanging numerous emails and bonding over our mutual love of gardens (though her... Continue Reading →
The small town of Tsuwano at the edge of Shimane prefecture has a host of interesting sights - a stunning hilltop Inari shrine, a lovely old samurai district crisscrossed by canals, and a handful of unique museums. But far and away the best sight in town is one that didn't even have a sign. Or... Continue Reading →
Matsue is a town with some pretty good food. And luckily, you don't have to leave the tourist area to find some excellent options for lunch. Yakumo-a sits tucked in an old house along the row of former samurai mansions in Matsue's Bukeyashiki quarter. If visiting foreign-born writer Lafcadio Hearn's residence and one of the... Continue Reading →
It has been a month of adventure coupled with a month of sitting around twiddling our thumbs in various hotel rooms on either end of our cross-country move. But don't worry - I won't make this month's photo anything hotel-related. 🙂 I was so SO very excited to see the garden at the Adachi Museum... Continue Reading →
Being an avowed garden lover, it is surprising to me that I had yet to come across (until last week that is) a list of the 50 most beautiful gardens of Japan as rated by the Journal of Japanese Gardens (an American-based magazine). I knew that such a list existed and I knew that the Adachi... Continue Reading →
It's rainy season this month in Japan, which means that part of me wants to stay in my house curled up on my couch with a book, while the other part of me wants to take advantage of the lack of humidity and go out exploring. Luckily, this past weekend was a bit of a... Continue Reading →
For the first time in a while, picking this month's photo was a challenge. It's really due to the fact that we spent most of this month back in the US for a family wedding and a visit with our relatives. We only returned in the past few days and jet lag - as well... Continue Reading →
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