Eastern capital of Japan
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
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
It’s summer festival season again here in Tokyo and for the second year in a row, I managed to make it to the Kagurazaka Awa Odori dance festival. Dozens of troupes parade down the hill along the main shopping street with local restaurants selling snacks and drinks outside their doors beneath the lanterns. Read more
Earlier in the year, I had the chance to visit a wonderful interactive exhibition focusing on Japanese food culture housed in a repurposed abandoned building in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Produced by MOMENT FACTORY, a digital art studio, the exhibit was divided into four installations, telling the story of traditional, seasonal and local cuisine known as washoku (和食). Read more
Enjoying matcha (抹茶) tea and other confectionery made from it is one of the great pleasures of living in Japan where access to the freshest supplies is plentiful. A few weeks ago a friend invited me on an early morning excursion to sample some of the richest matcha ice cream in the world, an opportunity I could not pass up! Read more
Back when I used to live in Waseda, one of my favourite places to hang out was the quaint neighbourhood of Kagurazaka (神楽坂) which provides a snapshot of old Tokyo with its many narrow alleyways and traditional restaurants. Over the summer I paid a return visit one evening to enjoy the annual Awa Odori (阿波踊り) festival which is held along the main Waseda Dori shopping street. Read more
For the past few years I’ve enjoyed the spectacular autumn leaves in Tokyo by exploring the city’s many pristine parks but for the prior season I decided to head out of the metropolis to Okutama (奥多摩), a mountainous region located west along the Tama River. Read more
For a few weeks every summer in Japan the streets of neighbourhoods around the country come alive with the sights, sounds and smells of traditional festivals (matsuri 祭) usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple. Notable matsuri often feature processions including elaborate floats (dashi 山車), which are pulled through the town, accompanied by performers and musicians. Read more
Whether a local neighbourhood trapped in a time warp or a mountain trail not in any guide book, one of my objectives wherever I may be is always to seek out lesser-known spots away from the crowds. Read more