Staycation at the Muji Hotel in Ginza

Confession: I’m not paid by any sponsors. I’m too small. That said, there are certain brands that I enjoy and have found to be rather delightful here in Japan. One such is Mujirushi Ryohin, or Muji, as it is more popularly known. It sells all manner of goods: clothing, food, furniture, housewares, scented oils, and […]

Railway Day (Tetsudou no Hi – 鉄道の日)

October 14th is a very special day in Japan for railway aficionados (or, less glamorously known, densha (train) otaku (nerds)). This is when, in 1911, the first stretch of railway connecting Yokohama to Tokyo officially opened. I figured this was a good opportunity to talk about all things trains and let everyone out there know […]

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.

Shibuya Blue Cave (Ao No Dokutsu)

Winter illuminations (light displays) are very popular in the winter months in Japan, with most starting in November and going through January. One particularly popular and unique display is in Shibuya ward in Tokyo, where they take a piece of Yoyogi park and a drag of the city and line it with over 600,000 blue […]

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 […]

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 […]

My Best Nine of 2017

Every year, Instagram users can view their top nine liked posts and share them via the latest iteration of (year)bestnine.com. This year, I kind of fell off of the Instagram train, failing to post anything in November and December. However, I still like the collage I generated, as it contains a lot of memories and […]

Tokyo Christmas Market

I had asked the student what they were up to during the weekend and she replied that she was going to a German Christmas market deep in the heart of Tokyo. Intrigued, I asked her about the details and she showed me the website, replete with images of quaint cottages, cooked sausages, and a variety […]

Amazon Bar

Popup shops and restaurants are a pretty big business here in Japan, particularly in Tokyo. I’ve seen news of them from time to time, but one in particular caught my attention: Amazon. They created their own bar in the G735 Gallery in the fancy Ginza district of Tokyo. It’s only there from October 20th through […]

My First Japanese Baseball Game

I’m not a big sports guy, but I do enjoy watching live events with friends, so the possibility of me enjoying sports is not so far off. I’ve had some good experiences with live sports in the past (Exhibit A, Exhibit B), so when a friend asked if I wanted to see a Yomiuri Giants […]