Anything that makes me think of Gingitsune is a good thing. It’s really heating up in Tokyo, but any sunny day in June almost demands to be taken advantage of because they’re so rare. And that’s all the more true when it coincides with the big weekend of the Hie […] Read more
It’s deja vu all over again… I covered Sanja Matsuri pretty extensively last year, so I won’t dig too deep this time around (I actually have photos on the Picasa page from a vacation a few years ago as well). Just a few pics and a couple of videos from […] Read more
The discoveries just never stop. Today was my last big sakura excursion (unless I decide to head up to the mountains next weekend along with half of Tokyo) so I wanted to try somewhere I hadn’t been before. Koganei Park, about half an hour West on the Chuo Line, seemed […] Read more
There’s old, and then there’s old. I’ve been meaning to check out Kashima Jingu for quite some time. I bypassed it when I had my Seishun-18 Kippu last year in favor of Izu, and I’ve always kind of regretted it. Kashima Jingu is regarded as the most important Shrine in […] Read more
Nowhere but Japan is it this much fun to get yourself into hot water. Today’s Kanto Pass excursion took me to Kusatsu Onsen, up in the mountains in Gunma. I’m a huge onsen fan, and Kusatsu is regarded as one of the best onsen towns in Japan, both for atmosphere […] Read more
Astonishing doesn’t begin to cover it. I’m on break this week, so I decided to use the JR Kanto Pass (¥8000 for three consecutive days of travel anywhere in Kanto) to do three day trips. That maximizes the value and saves me money on hotels, but it’s going to be […] Read more
Too much is never enough. My friend Bonnie is in town from California (generously, she bought Kabuki tickets – not cheap – and I was amazed at how much fun it was) so I tagged along on her trip to Kamakura. I already have two Kamakura posts but damn, so […] Read more
In the name of Mars, I will chastise you! Today’s outing took me to Hikawa Jinja. It’s one of the seemingly endless atmospheric and beautiful Shrines hidden all over Tokyo, but might be best known as the inspiration for the Shrine in the anime version of Sailor Moon – the […] Read more
No ablutions occurred during the course of my visit. I’ve been to Yushima Tenjin before and blogged it, but given the Noragami connection there were obvious reasons to go back. Besides, I’m a student and next week is finals week, and it’s virtually a requirement that all good students visit […] Read more
More ume is never a bad thing. I had to get one more plum blossom trip in before the weather turned – there aren’t enough Tereuteru bozu in Tokyo to deal with the forecast for the next week. So I played hooky and headed for Ikegami, out in suburban Tokyo, […] Read more