Japanese Craft Beer You Should Be Drinking

I’ve had the great fortune to travel a fair amount around Japan, from Hokkaido down to Kyushu (no Shikoku or Okinawa… yet!). I always like to find out something local about the place I’m visiting: local dishes, local sights, and local drinks. While I haven’t been everywhere in Japan yet to sample food and drink, […]

The Shinkansen

One of the most famous modes of transport from Japan is the Shinkansen, or bullet train, which has lines that stretch all over Japan. It seems almost like a rite of passage to ride one, being almost mythologized by those outside of Japan. Well, here’s a brief glimpse into my experience and some tips so […]

What is Hanami?

The term hanami gets thrown around a lot in Japan and conjures up different images for different people. The general gist is the same: You spread out a blanket and watch some flowers. The most popular time to hanami is usually end of March or early April when the cherry blossoms (sakura) come out for […]

Plum Blossoms at Koishikawa Korakuen

Taking a moment to stop and appreciate the flowers (or the shifting seasons in general) seems to be pretty ingrained in Japanese culture. You can find all sorts of gardens and temples known for being hotspots to visit at specific times of the year. When I last visited Japan in 2010, I was fortunate to […]

Plum Blossom Festival in Ogose (Ume Matsuri)

With spring comes the blossoming of many flowers across Japan. I’ve come to learn that appreciating the changing of seasons and enjoying the blossoms is very ingrained in Japanese culture, something that I myself have come to really appreciate. In the February and March stretches, plum blossoms are the flower to view, so I found […]

More Japanese KitKat Flavors

If you thought those first few flavors were the only KitKat flavors available, you would be wrong! There are a seemingly endless number of flavors, many of which seem to be seasonal or limited edition, many more of which I have been able to encounter. I will share the next batch of flavors with you […]

Ryokan: Traditional Japanese Inn

On our trip to Nagano over the winter, we decided to stay in a traditional Japanese inn, or ryokan, for our lodging. We stayed at Matsuya Ryokan in Nagano, a mere minute walk from the huge Zenkoji Temple and a 20-minute walk from Nagano station. I had been told it would be a very unique […]

Otaru Snow Light Path Festival 2018

About an hour north of Saporro is Otaru, which has its own winter-inspired festival during the Sapporo Snow Festival. Known for its restored canal along the sea, Otaru decorates the canal and a special street in the city with lanterns made of snow and ice. With a good pair of snow boots and a warm […]

Sapporo Snow Festival 2018: Susukino

In my last snow festival post, I focused on the insane amount of snow and ice present along Odori Park in the heart of Sapporo. Just a few blocks away there was a display of ice sculptures in Susukino. Since there was so much going on, I decided to separate the two out and dedicate […]

Sapporo Snow Festival 2018: Odori Park

Every year, the city of Sapporo hosts a large snow festival across the main streets in its city. You can see monumental snow sculptures and ice sculptures across two key areas in the city: Odori Park and Susukino respectively. I was lucky enough to visit both on a recent trip to Hokkaido and here is […]