Japan
Red Day
Happy Valentines Day! Happy Singles Awareness Day! (maniacal laugh) Happy Some Holiday Corporations Make You Believe You Need To Spend Money ... Day! and Here from Japan: Happy Red Day! Whatever you call it, you're thinking about love today. For me it gives me the...
Drunk Train
An assault on all your senses The putrid breath of 100 drunken lungs saturates the air Blink, The fluorescent lights glare, judging the life that led you there Screech! Are trains always so loud? Flubadababa... That's the sound of a drunk man forgetting to remain...
Earthquakes
We've been feeling a lot of earthquakes lately here in Uenohara, nothing consequential, they're really just barely strong enough to even be noticed, but they freak me out. I don't understand them, I don't have any idea what to do in the event of a bad earthquake, and...
Setsubun
Throw beans to make your demons go away... Today was Setusbun, the day you throw beans/peanuts at demons to get rid of your bad luck and start a year of new better luck. Sestubun in celebrated yearly on February 3rd, and is reminiscent of the historic lunar new...
Adrift in Tokyo
A charming movie about an authentic Tokyo
Shotty Construction
I walk by houses that are literally crumbling, some of the houses are only about 25 years old. Windows are boarded up because the windows inside shattered under the pressure from the warping walls.
Tourists in Tokyo
A fun day of tourism all around Tokyo
Snow Day!!!
I had a fun snow day in Japan
First Snow in Japan
I always love the first snow of the year
Ninja!
That time I saw a ninja in Japan
New Years at Yasaka Shrine
Kyoto is a spectacular place to ring in the new year.
Kyoto: Silver Pavilion and Kyoto Station
Our first destination in Kyoto was the Silver Pavilion. A temple surrounded in a profoundly beautiful zen garden.
Christmas Dinner
A little bit of home from across the world I pulled off a magnificent Christmas Dinner. Ben had to work today, but I got the day off. I started cooking at about 1 pm, and timed it so that every dish was ready and hot at 5:15, about 15 minutes after Ben got home. I am...
What the Dickens!
Tonight Ben and I met up with a group of people in Shibuya at an English pub called What the Dickens? The group was a good mix of Japanese people, and people from all over the world. Everyone spoke English, so for me it was really refreshing to be able communicate....
A rose by any other name….
A rose by any other name.... "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet." -William Shakespeare Frankly Mr. Shakespeare, I could not disagree with you more. A rose called a shploppy would not smell as sweet. Labels are very...
Koto
Koto Tonight I got to learn to play the koto. The koto is a traditional instrument in Japan. It has many strings, most traditionally 13 strings. The instrument is large and rests on the ground when you play. You use 3 finger picks strapped to the pads of your finger...
Log riding – Onbashira Festival
Suwa Festival Japanese Log Riding Festival https://youtu.be/7luJW1-46FA Todays post is connected to yesterdays trip to Suwa. Connected with the shrine we visited yesterday is the tradition of cramming a bunch of men onto a log, and then yanking that log down a hill....
The Yin and Yang of Japanese Toilets
The Yin and Yang of Japanese Toilets Going to the bathroom in Japan is a gamble. Sometimes you get a toilet that has come from the future, and it knows exactly what you need. Music for ambiance (or covering up impolite noises), flush levels, bidet settings, and fans...