People often ask me about buying kimono in Japan, and as much as it makes me cringe, who can blame them? A quick Google search proves it’s one of the most popular questions asked by tourists about to embark on their first adventure to Japan. So do you want to buy a kimono in Japan? Probably not. […]
Spring is here! This is always my favorite season. The cherry blossoms have already begun to bloom across Japan and soon they’ll be opening in the US as well. To celebrate, April’s recipe of the month is sakura mochi– a traditional Japanese sweet often enjoyed during hanami. This dessert is perfect for spring because it’s made with a […]
Although it no longer has the word “prefecture” in it’s name, the Tokyo Metropolis (東京都; Tokyo-to) is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is part of the Kanto Region (関東地方; Kanto-chiho) on Honshu, the main island of Japan. While most people think of Tokyo as a city, it’s actually not. In the 1940s they merged what was then considered Tokyo City […]
Every Friday I’ll be sharing a photo from someplace in my travels. This week’s photo is of the busy Yamanote Line in Tokyo, Japan. People often joke about the crowdedness of Tokyo trains. There are all these visions of people being pushed on by conductors and the so-called “train pushers”. While that does still happen on […]
Kyoto Prefecture (京都府; Kyoto-fu) is part of the Kansai Region (関西地方; Kansai-chiho) on Honshu, the main island of Japan. For most of history, Kyoto played an important role as Japan’s capital. As you can imagine, being the capital for over a thousand years means Kyoto is filled with ancient artifacts and cultural treasures. Once the government head moved to Tokyo, Kyoto’s economy became […]