Nikko is a good place to go if you want to dispel the notion that all of Japan displays a Zen sensibility. I made the 2-hour trip to Nikko yesterday. Along with Kamakura it’s probably the most historically important (and popular) destination with reach of an easy day trip from […] Read more
Holidays are a wonderful way to bring the differences between cultures into focus. I spent Christmas Eve in real Tokyo style – in a proper Japanese queue. I waited over an hour to slowly proceed through another Tokyo tradition – the “light-up”, this one at the Tokyo Midtown complex in […] Read more
Sometimes the reality lives up to the fantasy. This post was derailed by my untimely meeting with e.coli (or his cousin salmonella) but before I fell ill I’d spent the day on a return trip to Kamakura, wanting a chance to revisit on a sunny day and take things at […] Read more
It’s finally autumn for real in Tokyo, at least as far as the momiji are concerned. I stopped by the Koshikawa Korakouen yesterday before school. It’s about a 15-minute walk from my apartment, and quite a lovely place, though there’s something a bit surreal about walking a 17th-Century stroll garden […] Read more
This batch is pictures is from a day trip out to Kamakura with the school. The weather was a bit rainy, but that adds an even sense of great age to Kamakura’s structures. This was the capitol of Japan from 1185-1333, and it has an astonishing array of temples (many […] Read more
Crappy internet and too much to do have severely constrained my ability to consistently update, especially with the non-anime stuff. I have a ton of pics and video, but the latter especially may end up not getting posted until I finally get a stable and non-throttled connection. I made a […] Read more
Not so many words but a lot of pictures from a very busy Saturday. Lots of stuff happening in Tokyo this weekend, in addition to my quest to find an apartment. Jidai Matsuri was held in Asakusa, and there were numerous events celebrating Meiji’s birthday at Meiji-Jingu Shrine. Several videos […] Read more
Here’s some pics from the last few days in rainy Tokyo. I saw a couple of things I rarely see in Tokyo these last few days. One was a woman carrying an Enron tote bag – I have no idea why that might be – and another was a guy […] Read more
Ishihara Shintaro, the racist, xenophobic politician who wrote books glorifying the rape of teenaged girls and got Bill 156 passed, has quit as Governor of Tokyo. Clearly he’s decided this town isn’t big enough for the both of us, so you’re welcome. Sadly, the other side of the story is […] Read more
Just a few images from an outing to Yoyogi Koen with friends on Sunday. Meiji Shrine is a special place to the Japanese, but it also has a personal connection for me. On my first trip to Japan it was the place I visited on my last day here. It […] Read more