Sharing favorite finds from across the archipelago
Sakura season is upon us! While the somei yoshino are still just budding, the internet has been full of other cherry blossom flowers the past few weeks. So how does one tell just what kind of cherry tree they're enjoying? Use the handy guide below to help identify the various blossoms. Kawazuzakura Kawazuzakura One of... Continue Reading →
It's been a long dull year on the festival front here in Japan. Much has been cancelled due to Covid, and understandably so. But part of what makes Japan's calendar so colorful are the fantastic festivals across the island. This year, we've gotten barely a whisper of the usual enthusiasm. For some reason, Jindaiji temple... Continue Reading →
Happy 2020, blog readers … if there are indeed any of you left out there. 😉 It's true, I spend more of my time "microblogging" these days - I'm much more active on the Uncover Japan facebook page and I've even started Instagramming. I certainly neglect this blog much more than I write on it,... Continue Reading →
Tokyo has no shortage of museums and cultural institutions to explore. For most visitors passing through the city in just a few short days, these excellent, well-curated displays compete for time with other muse-see sites and experiences, often coming out on the short end of the stick. But for those planning to be in Tokyo... Continue Reading →
Don't laugh, but I adore tofu. I didn't until I moved to Japan and learned that those large strained blocks of mush could actually be turned into something delectable. Since then, however, I detour for good tofu, which is how I found myself at Sasanoyuki in Tokyo's Uguisudani neighborhood, a short walk from Ueno. Sasanoyuki has... Continue Reading →
Japan has a host of unique festivals, but I'll admit my eye was caught by this particular celebration's other name … the Warabi Naked Festival. Babies, mud, men in underwear and chicken fights all seem to play a part in this harvest festival in Chiba Prefecture, a short train ride from Tokyo. The festival takes... Continue Reading →
A handful of new art museums opened in Tokyo this past year, and one that immediately went to the top of my list was the Mori Building Digital Art Museum Epson teamLab Borderless … whew. Let's just call it teamLab from here on out, as most people do, and make all our lives easier. teamLab... Continue Reading →
While I missed the bulk of the New Years celebrations this year, thanks to a timely announcement from my good friend and comrade-in-travel Excursions Japan, I attended my first ever hashigo-nori performance at Tokyo's Ikegami Honmonji Temple. Hashigo-nori is essentially a series of acrobatic contortions performed at the top of a 6-meter high bamboo ladder. The... Continue Reading →
I've only been away from Japan for slightly over two years, and even since my last visit to Tokyo a year ago, a lot has changed in the city. Development has ramped up, perhaps in preparation for the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games, and large scale complexes are making appearances in areas of the city that... Continue Reading →
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 →
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