Discoveries from around the archipelago
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 →
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 →
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 →
When we were up north earlier this month, we were lucky enough to catch the Neputa Festival in Hirosaki, which I highly recommend to anyone of any age. But if you're in Hirosaki outside of the festival dates (August 1st-7th), make sure to swing by the Neputa Mura, the "village" that houses some former Neputa... Continue Reading →
If you're a longtime reader of this blog, you may be aware that I have a four-year-old daughter. You may also have gathered that she is a BIG fan of Anpanman, the animated television superhero who saves the world with his bean-paste-filled head. Trust me, I know it sounds bizarre, but it does eventually grow on you.... Continue Reading →
Whew, did I mention "perfect" weather in the blog last week? I write my Friday Photo post early in the week when that was still the case. Come Wednesday, though, the heat ramped up and we were treated to near 90 degree temps (that's 30 degrees Celsius for you sensible metric scale users out there).... Continue Reading →
In the latter years of World War II, as Japan was pressed back from her Pacific conquests, 1036 army pilots sortied from air bases in the southern part of Japan. They would never return. Their memories live on however, at the Chiran Peace Memorial Museum for kamikaze pilots (known in Japanese as tokko), an incredibly... Continue Reading →
Well, January hasn't even ended yet and I was already fortunate enough to check off one of my travel goals for 2014 the other weekend. My family and I made the rather reasonable drive to Kagoshima for a few days of exploration. We took the ferry over to Sakurajima to see the smoking volcano, hiked... Continue Reading →
Twenty-five years ago, a new superhero debuted on Japanese television. His name was Anpanman, his motto was "love and courage" and his head ... was a jam-filled bun. Yes, in the pantheon of Japanese anime characters, Anpanman and his food-related cohorts are certainly ... unique. But they have stunning staying power and are just as... Continue Reading →
Have a kid (or spouse) who can't get enough of Japan's shadowy warriors? Then make tracks to Iga City, the ancestral home of one of the country's prominent ninja clans. Iga City isn't on the beaten tourist trail - it's a good two hour journey from either Kyoto or Nagoya. But the Iga Ninja experience... Continue Reading →
