While there are many peaks of a similar height, Kitadake (北岳) takes the crown as the second tallest mountain in Japan, after Mt. Fuji, topping out at 3,193 m. Located in the Minami Alps National Park (南アルプス国立公園), the name Mount Kita literally means “northern mountain,” referring to its being the northernmost of the three Akaishi Mountains (赤石山脈) otherwise known as the “Southern Alps” (南アルプス). 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
With temperatures approaching 40°C, Shanghai is probably not the best city to visit during the summer. Nevertheless, I found myself there mid-July and, while not safely ensconced in the sanctuary of air conditioning, managed to take the camera outside and enjoy the quieter than normal streets. Read more
In June this year, the first-ever Japan Alps Art Festival was held in the city of Omachi (大町市), surrounded by three natural lakes and the Japanese Northern Alps in northwestern Nagano prefecture. Since it’s a fair distance from Tokyo, we decided to make a weekend of it. 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
I landed in Beijing on January 29th, 2007 on my first trip to Asia at the ripe age of 22. I’d been sent on a project for work with little more than a weeks notice. Despite being weary from the flight, I vividly remember the ride from the airport. Everything was covered with a thin layer of dust, the air dry and thick with the haze of pollution. Read more
Almost exactly 10 years after I first arrived in Beijing in 2007 I found myself back there in March 2017. As has sadly become the norm, the city was shrouded in a thick blanket of smog so we decided to head out of the city for the weekend for a hike in the mountains.
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While all the famous museums in Paris were great, the highlight of my recent trip was visiting the highly eccentric Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Museum of Hunting and Nature). Read more
I’ve had few opportunities to return to Europe, since moving to East Asia over 10 years ago, so was very happy when I got an excuse to spend a week in Paris this past February. My last visit to the French capital was in 2005 at the ripe age of 21 so I was eager to see the city through my slightly older eyes! Read more
In recent years I’ve discovered the joys of hiking in Japan, where all levels of experience are catered for with well-maintained trails and some of the best mountain huts in the world. Up until this January, I’d never ventured out during the winter and, as this trip proved, I was missing out! Read more