Kawagoe Warehouse and Tsubakiya Foot Spa Tea Room

It’s not often that I’ll single out a specific store but this one has so much character and a nice surprise in the back that I couldn’t help but give it its own spotlight. I figured I’d spend a little time sharing about the Kawagoe Warehouse and Tsubakiya Foot Spa Tea Room. Advertisements

Kobe Kitano Ijinkan: Moegi House and Weathercock House

Kobe, the city famous for its very expensive, high-end beef, also has quite a few historical sights to see. Contrary to the Japanese aesthetic of Kyoto, Kobe has an entire neighborhood of preserved European-style homes from the 1800s-1900s. The mansions, known as Ijinkan (異人館), were home to many European businessmen and entrepenuers seeking to gain […]

National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno

This blog is certainly no stranger to dinosaurs and dinosaur hunters, nor is it a stranger to museums in Tokyo. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the features that makes Ueno’s National Museum of Science distinct from other natural history museums.

Mind-Blowing Animal Facts I’ve Learned in Japan

Language is a funny thing. You can convey so much information with it but different languages often have different strengths when it comes to that expression. In English, we have all sorts of quirks and eccentricities from our colorful linguistic history. Japan also has its fair share of insights it can offer, a few of […]

Kanamara Matsuri

Alright, so, here we go. This is the festival with the giant phallus parading through town. There are a lot of expectations going into an event like this, and a lot of things you are suspecting to see. I’m here to report that some of those expectations were met thoroughly, while others fell woefully short […]

Reiwa (令和): The New Japanese Era

After Chief Cabinet Member Yoshihide Suga flipped that glorious framed calligraphy to reveal what the new era for Japan would be, things began to change in the country. The age of Akihito is drawing to a close as his son, Naruhito, will ascend on May 1st. But what is all of this about eras and […]

Vending Machine Alley in Akihabara

There have been many fabled stories of oddities sold via vending machines in Japan. Everything from hot drinks to used clothes, the stories seem to fly around outside of Japan to build it into this mythical status. Most machines are very mundane, offering hot and cold drinks or some small snacks. Once place where these […]

Dinner at Hatsuneya Garden

Ever since we gave a course meal a go at Commander’s Palace, we’ve been intrigued by what different restaurants have to offer. Luckily, we have a very well-established restaurant in our very own city that offered a course menu with some more Western-styled offerings, but, was nonetheless, a very Japanese experience.

Bodhidharma: The Original Daruma

Daruma are an interesting tradition in Japan, and their roots in Zen Buddhism are not to be overlooked. Since my original post on the Daruma Festival, I’ve been reading more and more about the doll, its tradition, symbolism, and connection to the figure Bodhidharma and decided that another post to sort out my thoughts was […]

Yozakura: Evening Cherry Blossom Viewing

If you thought that after a fiery sunset your time viewing the cherry blossoms was over, then think again! Going to view cherry blossoms at night is a very normal and festive event during the spring, and for the first time since coming to Japan, I partook in a bit of night hanami myself.