Along the street marking the border between Yanaka and Nishi-Nippori lies a quaint shopping street (shotengai) that is home to a number of food vendors, restaurants and shops. It’s not a typical destination for most Tokyo tourists but bustles with activity nonetheless and the area is worth a visit for not only the shopping street […]
Did you know that in Japan many train stations have their own tune that is played just be before the doors of the train close? Call it a signature tune or a theme song…the Maihama Station on the Keiyo line is the stop for Tokyo Disneyland and the tune you hear is It’s a Small […]
Ando Hiroshige produced and estimated 5,400 ukiyo-e in his lifetime (1811-1858) and his most famous works, also his last series, are knows as 100 View of Edo (now Tokyo) in English, Meisho Edo Hyakkei in Japanese. The beautiful images offer insight into what the city of Tokyo looked like in before Japan embraced all things […]
There are over 900 local fish markets around Japan and most of these local markets are much more relaxed when compared to the center of the fish universe in Tokyo at the Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market. For one thing, the scale of the markets don’t compare to Tsukiji and you don’t have to be worried […]
With the records breaking speeds attained by the Shinkansen (bullet train), the ever on-time performance of the train system in Japan and the hoards of people moving around the country’s major cities at a seemingly breakneck pace you would think that everything in Japan is done efficiently and speedily but that’s not always the case. […]
Traditionally used to protect the entrance to stores and homes from the sun, wind and dust from the streets, noren are no longer an absolute necessity but a lovely tradition that is kept alive by shop keepers, restaurateurs and home owners in Japan. Noren are the split curtains that gracefully adorn the doorways of Japan […]
The maneki-neko comes in many forms with the most common being a red and white ceramic cat with a lucky medallion around its neck. These two neko, spotted along Yanaka Ginza, are decidedly more realistic and very kawaii (cute) when compared to their traditional counterparts. Maneki-neko with raised paws are displayed to ensure a prosperous […]
An aimless stroll though the windy and hilly streets of Shibuya led me towards the entrance plaza of Yoyogi Park where the street fashion that the area has come to be associated with is ever present. The area is well known for it’s youthful vibe and funky fashion sense. From a western perspective the fashion […]
Put two foreigners with limited Japanese language skills into a taxi in Tokyo and frustration is almost certainly coming along for the ride! One evening, after a relaxing dinner at a great restaurant, my husband and I decided that rather than take a bus or train back to our home we would splurge on a […]
White Day is a holiday that originated in Japan and is the country’s answer to Valentine’s Day. Women in Japan are the only ones giving the gifts on Valentine’s day but on White Day, celebrated each March 14th, the men reciprocate. So what’s a guy to give his honmei (true sweetheart) on White Day? Traditionally […]
