Having immensely enjoyed the same trail in 2017, in early February this year, I embarked on the overnight hike from Mitsumine Shrine (三峯神社), up to Mt. Kumotori (雲取山), and down to Kamosawa (鴨沢) for the second year running. This time I did it alone and, with snow up to my knees at some points, it was a bit of an invigorating ordeal. Read more
In Japan, I often find myself lost for words at the beautiful integration of the natural landscape with manmade architecture (be it traditional or modern). It seems to be hardwired into the cultural DNA of the country, right down to the religious worship of nature embodied in Shintoism. Read more
The first heavy snow I experience in Tokyo was back in February 2014 when a number of records were broken. The skies remained clear of the white stuff until January 22 of this year when the heavens opened and dropped another mother lode on the capital during a weekday. Read more
I spent Christmas 2017 with family in the UK but after the festivities and before the New Year managed to squeeze in a short trip to Munich, Salzburg and Zurich.
It was the first time for me to visit all three places and, after spending the last decade predominantly in Asia, I’d almost forgotten just how exceptional the old European cities are. Read more
After almost five years of exploring Tokyo (!), it has become increasingly hard to find hidden historical gems, such was the destruction caused by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the 1945 WWII bombings to old wooden buildings. At the end of 2017, I discovered The Former Kusuo Yasuda House and Gardens (旧安田楠雄邸庭園) which miraculously survived and is open to the public by The Japan National Trust. Read more
Autumn, and indeed the entire year, seems to have passed in a heartbeat but before we enter 2018, I wanted to share some photos of the marvellous fall foliage that we are blessed with in Japan each year. The red leaves (koyo) of late autumn are a breathtaking sight, especially against a backdrop of a temple or a well-groomed garden. Read more
Crowded, noisy and chaotic by day. Quiet and brooding by night, Sham Shui Po (深水埗) is a quintessential Hong Kong working-class neighbourhood in the heart of Kowloon that reflects the metropolis’s dual personalities. Read more
Having been defeated by the hot weather and the treacherous route we took through the Hotaka Mountains in September 2016, a year later, Chen and I returned to Kamikōchi (上高地) to try a different trail with the objective of reaching Mount Yari (槍ヶ岳) over a four day hike, camping at mountain huts along the way. Read more