The Books That Changed The World at Ueno Royal Museum

Most book collections focus on the literary greats of their country: Epic poems, novels, and plays that exemplify the excellence of that culture and its people. I remember one time my brother musing about what science books would comprise a “scientific cannon,” a must-read list of books for the scientifically-minded. Well, the Kanazawa Institute of […]

Japanese KitKat Flavors Episode IV

More and more KiKat flavors enter my world, but what is this I see? Is it… a new hope for KitKats? Maybe so! In my vain attempt to try as many of the 200+ flavors in Japan, I humbly submit a few more for your consideration.

Moxy Hotels: Osaka and Tokyo

Marriott has a newish hotel brand called Moxy. It’s essentially a budget chain aimed at millennials, boasts fantastic internet connections, a bar with craft cocktails, and so many random decorations all over the place you’d think an Instagram feed exploded in the lobby. I’ve been lucky enough to visit the only two Japanese locations, in […]

Nagoya Castle

Japan has no shortage of castles sprinkled about the country. While visiting Nagoya for a conference, I was able to stop by the local castle, as it was only about a 15-minute walk from my hotel. Each castle seems to have its own unique attribute that pulls in tourists, and for Nagoya, it definitely was […]

Shinsekai and Dotonbori in Osaka

Osaka is a pretty big and bustling city. I visited there once, briefly, back in 2010 with a friend of mine while I was living in Korea. I remember watching the winter olympics in a Korean hostel in the area of Shinsekai, known as a rougher part of the city. It seems to have calmed […]

Spa World

In Osaka, there is a fabled place near the Tsustenkaku Tower by the name of Spa World. Do you enjoy soaking in hot water? Cold water? Sweating in a tiny room? Well, this place has you covered! Bring a swimsuit and get prepared to be naked around complete strangers, because I’m bringing you the lowdown […]

Osaka Video Game Bars: American vs Japanese

Barcades have been popping up a lot in the last few years in America. They are essentially bars with arcade cabinets at the ready for patrons to play while they drink. A video game bar, to contrast, sets up more consoles–classic and modern– for patrons to have a go at while they drink. While visiting […]

Three Things That Are Technically Illegal in Japan

There are things you will see here in Japan that are so commonplace that you’ll learn not to question them. They are simply woven into the fabric of life here. These things, however, may be against the law. Like my home nation of the US, there do exist laws that make certain things technically illegal, […]

Museum of Yebisu Beer: History and Beer

While visiting Ebisu a week ago, my wife decided that we would go to the Yebisu Beer Museum, just a short walk from Ebisu Station. I’m not a big fan of Japanese macro beers, but I figured it would be a nice experience. Little did I know, it would turn out to be much, much […]

Traditional Japanese Tie-Dyeing (Shibori)

I was tempted to leave the title as “Traditional Japanese Dying,” but realized I didn’t want to mislead with a click-bait title. If you’ve ever seen traditional Japanese textiles with a blueish indigo dye, there’s a very high chance that it was perpared using the traditional dying technique known as Shibori. In a small city […]