Discoveries from around the archipelago
If you follow the Uncover Japan facebook page at all, you may have seen that this past weekend, I returned to Kumamoto for the first trip since the earthquake. Our time there in late March and early April was wonderful, filled with visits to friends' homes, trips to Kurokawa Onsen (my favorite place in Japan)... Continue Reading →
As of today, I think it's safe to say that we're wrapping up sakura season 2016. Whew! I have to say I'm a bit relieved. I've been running around like a madwoman this past week (hence the lack of blogging!), attempting to capture the fleeting beauty both for my own personal collection and for one... Continue Reading →
The leaves may not be turning until November, but Kumamoto likes to kick off the autumn early with the five-day fall festival at the city's Fujisaki Hachiman Shrine. While the weather may still be a tad on the warm side, who doesn't love dancing, drumming and ... drunken horses??? The origins of the festival are... Continue Reading →
As you read this, my house is in shambles. I'm assuming so at least, since I have set this blog to auto-post. (And the rest of the week's posts as well. Hello, hotel living.) Today is the day the movers come. The internet has been unplugged, the fridge has been emptied, the furniture wrapped and... Continue Reading →
It's my final week in Kumamoto, which means getting around to all of those things I promised myself I would do before (and never did) or the things I just discovered in the past month and wondered why I had no idea they existed. The karashi renkon class at Murakami was a combination of both... Continue Reading →
Unless something drastic happens, this will be the last Photo Friday post I make from my home here in Kyushu. The movers come in just over a week and we begin the drive to our new digs in Tokyo in mid-July. How did three years go by so fast??? So in honor of my last... Continue Reading →
Hitoyoshi is a small town in the southern end of Kumamoto Prefecture and, despite the distance from my home, I've actually been there twice. They have a fairly good Doll Festival (though not as impressive as Yanagawa, in my opinion) and some lovely onsen. Here's what I found beneath my feet in Hitoyoshi: The Kuma... Continue Reading →
The countdown until our move date to Tokyo is starting to feel real. With only a few months left in Kyushu (and with a trip back to the US for a family wedding thrown in the mix for part of that), I am now in that stage of an impending change where I want to... Continue Reading →
Over the Christmas holiday this year, my family and I went to Tochigi prefecture to a ryokan that I have had my eye on for years. I chose it in part due to its snowy setting in winter and also due to its unique cooking style - the guests' dinner is prepared over an irori, or... Continue Reading →
