Lake Kawaguchi: Fuji and Fall
. . The appreciation of fall foliage is serious business in Japan. Just as with cherry blossoms, there is an entire industry devoted to predicting when the leaves would start to turn where. In my case, I was going to be in Tokyo on the second week of November — not exactly peak koyo season […]
The Meiji Shrine
. One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Samurai X, the English-language version of the beloved Japanese anime series Rurouni Kenshin. It takes place in the early Meiji era and follows the story of Kenshin Himura, a feared wartime assassin who tries to make up for the murders he once committed by […]
Kyoto Notes: Temples, Trees and Blossoms
. . Before I left for Japan last year, I made all these quick notes on places that I thought would be interesting to see. In this post, I’m sharing my Kyoto notes. There are 5 places listed here, though I only got to visit two — the Fushimi Inari Shrine and the Kiyomizudera Temple. The latter is […]
Tokyo Notes: Cherry Blossoms and Fall Foliage
. Some of the best cherry blossoms and fall foliage viewing spots in Tokyo. Includes each place’s most picturesque features and short instructions for how to get there (especially for JR Pass holders). . . There’s something about the Japanese culture of appreciation for flowers and leaves. I was in Tokyo last November to view the […]
Not all those who wander in Tokyo are lost in Tokyo
Except me. I was DEFINITELY lost. . . When Tolkien wrote his now-ubiquitous, often-misappropriated line, he probably wasn’t thinking about girls who get lost three times in less than 24 hours in Tokyo, e.g., me. It got to the point that when I told my mum I wish they had come with me — I was […]
Tokyo Train-ing: The JR Pass and the Narita Express
* * There are various ways to get to central Tokyo from Narita Airport. If you have a JR Pass, you can use the Narita Express — free. Should you get a JR Pass? * There are so many articles in the internet devoted to this topic, but to make it simple, if you’re going […]