• Chureito Pagoda

    Visited in November 2019 Here is a view from Chureito(忠霊塔) Pagoda in Fujiyoshida (富士吉田) , a city in Yamanashi prefecture, sitting on the foot of Mt. Fuji. The city of Yoshida is the starting point of the most popular trail to the top of Mt. Fuji. Observing Japan’s tallest mountain from its north side, Chureito…

  • Red hot chili peppers

    Visited in August 2018 While walking around Culture Village in Busan during the summer, it’s common to see red peppers spread out across balconies and yards, drying under the sun. Korean cuisine is known for its generous use of spices, with red hot peppers being a staple. Naturally, those grown domestically are considered superior in…

  • Exploring Miura Coast

    We had an amazing plan for our Sunday trip. And then this catastrophic downpour happened. It is rainy season after-all. Our plan was shuttered and we decided to go somewhere where the weather report said we could avoid the afternoon rain. So we decided to go down all the way to the edge of Tokyo…

  • Little Bremen in Japan

    By now, I am convinced that for every single area in the world exists an equivalent mini version somewhere in Japan. Recently, I came across the mini-version of the German city of Bremen, in the form of “Bremen street” (ブレーメン通り) in Moto-Sumiyoshi, Kawasaki. If you are wondering why Bremen, it turns out that the city…

  • A sunny day in Tamagawa (while the rest of the world is burning)

    On the vernal equinox day, a national holiday in Japan, it seemed like everyone was out enjoying Tamagawa. Japan is in an alternate dimension. Regardless, let’s appreciate the fact that this kind of neighbourhood exists in the middle of Tokyo.

  • Earlybird Sakura

    At Chidorigafuchi (千鳥ヶ淵) park, next to the Imperial palace in the heart of Tokyo, in about a week from now everything will be pink. Normally, the moat is full of pleasure boats and the walkway full of loving couples, but maybe not this year.