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 →
Family Fun: African Safari Park (Oita)
My husband had a business event in Oita prefecture the other day so with little on our schedule, my daughter and I tagged along too. The plan was to occupy ourselves at Harmonyland, the Hello Kitty themepark and a mecca for Sanrio fans. Unfortunately, Harmonyland happens to close on a Thursday. And we were in... Continue Reading →
Friday Photo: May 2014
It's been a quiet month around here. Well, truth be told, we spent the first half of it gallivanting around France so it wasn't THAT quiet, but regarding Japan-based adventures, I've been taking it easy. The weather, as is so typical of May in Japan, has been perfect. Days in the 70s (yes, that's Fahrenheit,... Continue Reading →
Family Fun: Tama Zoo (Tokyo)
I have a thing about zoos in Asia. I've seen my fair share and, aside from Singapore's amazing wildlife Shangri-la, most of them fall quite short of the mark. Even in Okinawa, our local zoo's cramped conditions made me vow not to spend my tourist dollars in support of such seemingly poor care for the... Continue Reading →