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An evening of surprises - Nakano (part 2)
This is part 2 of a post about Nakano. Â I recommend reading part 1Â first if you have not already done so.Halfway between Koenji and Nakano stations I paused as a train flew past overhead to have a...
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Hold on! - Typhoon in Tokyo
Summer in Japan means hot, humid days and rain, lots of rain. Â Tokyo swelters through two to three months of steamy, draining days. Â In 2005 the Japanese government introduced Cool Biz. Â Cool Biz is a...
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My first Japanese festival! - Oeshiki festival at Ikegami
Back in September last year, a friend and his wife, Mauricio and Satoko, offered to show me around an area south of Tokyo that they like called Kamakura. Â I spent an excellent day at Kamakura and took...
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Another festival! - Kawagoe Festival
Back in August I went to visit a couple of friends Masae and Hiroaki who live just north of Tokyo in a historic city, with buildings that date back over 300 years, called Kawagoe. Â At the time they put...
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Oshima Island - arrival
One of my brother's friends and a guy who regularly reads this blog asked me last year if I could visit a small Japanese fishing village and write about it. Â I started searching online for one, but...
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Oshima Island - Mount Mihara
This is part 2 of a 3 part post. Â If you would like to read the first part before this one, you can find it here.I talked a little in the previous post about Mount Mihara that lies in the centre of the...
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Oshima Island - Habu Port (the fishing village that time forgot)
This is the final part of a three part post on Oshima Island.  You can find part 1 here and part 2 here.  Scott, this one is for you.Habu Port is a small fishing port on the south tip of Oshima Island....
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Origin of the Japanese lucky cat - Gotokuji Temple
The image of Maneki-neko (the Japanese lucky cat) is famous around the world. Â There are actually two types. Â One with the left had raised which brings in customers to a store of restaurant and one...
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The Mother of all shopping arcades - Musashi Koyama shotengai (shopping street)
Shopping is an integral part of life in any country and what Japan seems to do so well are the nice shopping streets and arcades in areas such as Koenji, Togoshi Ginza and Yanaka Ginza.  I have a...
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Iconic Japan - Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji
Around this time last year I put up a post about New Year's Day in Japan and mentioned that I had missed a big family Christmas that year.  One of my brothers, Matty, decided that he would come to...
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Tokyo's answer to Okonomiyaki - Monjayaki!
Most regular readers will be familiar with my love of Okonomiyaki (the Hiroshima variety especially). Â Tokyo, not to be outdone has it's own version that is called Monjayaki.Monjayaki (or monja as it...
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In pursuit of castles - Matsumoto
Japan is a country full of castles. Â Not your average European style castle, not that there is anything wrong with European castles, but Japanese castles are different. Â They have a certain dominant...
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In pursuit of castles - Matsumoto castle
My second day in Matsumoto began far too early as my alarm pierced the tranquillity of Sunday morning. Â "No!" I thought, "I'm on holiday!". Â So sacrificing breakfast I switched off the alarm rolled...
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Stepping back in time - Narai
Day 3 of my trip started, again, with my alarm shattering the silence of the morning. Â There was no going back to sleep this morning though as checkout was waiting for me. Â Dragging myself out of bed...
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In the shadow of Tokyo Skytree - Kira-Kira Tachibana Shotengai (Shopping street)
Tokyo Skytree is known around the world now. Â It opened in 2012 and is the world's second highest structure (I use the word structure here rather than building because it is not technically a building)...
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Another ramen street - Tachikawa New York Ramen Square
There's no doubt about it. Â Japan loves its food and it does food damn well! Â In 2010 Japan out-Michelined the home of Michelin, France! Â Japan also celebrates its food like no other country. Â It has...
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Hanami - Cherry blossom time in Tokyo.
Ask any Japanese person what their favourite season is and 70% of them will say Spring. Â The weather is more comfortable in Spring, having escaped the chill of winter and having not yet hit the heat of...
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An oasis of green in the middle of Tokyo - Todoroki Valley
Hi, sorry for the break. Â I took a trip back to Australia for a friend's wedding and hadn't had time to go anywhere recently, so I apologise for not having written anything for the last month. Â I did,...
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A festival less normal - Nikufes (meat festival)
A warning, this post is not recommended for vegetarians or vegans.Japan is well known for it's love of festivals. Â You have everything from festivals where sumo wrestlers make babies cry to log riding...
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A random day off - Harmonica Yokocho and buying a bicycle in Japan
I recently caught up with some friends on a Sunday night in Shinbashi and a couple of drinks turned into and all-nighter at karaoke (I'm getting too old for them.....).  I arrived home after sunrise...
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