Sep 13, 2013

Now that Tokyo has been awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics the city is abuzz with excitement. Many places are celebrating by lighting up with the colors of the Olympic rings. The Rainbow Bridge, spanning Tokyo Bay, is no different. Whenever there’s an important event the bridge is set aglow in colored lights. Obviously being chosen to host the Summer...

Sep 6, 2013

I love Indonesian cuisine. The first time I went to an Indonesian restaurant was in 1998, back when I was a college student in Nagoya, a city in central Japan. I’ve forgotten the name of the restaurant, but I remember how much I liked the food. Fast forward more than a decade later. Having since moved to the Tokyo vicinity, I found the place to be for...

Aug 4, 2013

Avant garde lover or hater? If you’re the former, you’ll enjoy the Sezon Museum of Modern Art in Karuizawa. Combining works by famous Abstract Expressionists with beautiful green lawns and plenty of Japanese elm trees, this museum in Nagano, Japan will keep you entertained for an hour or so. (Continued after Japanese...

Jul 30, 2013

Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you make it a point to eat local sweets when you are traveling? I love cake, candy, chocolate, pie and all other types of dessert. One of the joys of traveling, for me, is to get to eat local sweets. (Continued after Japanese...

Jul 8, 2013

How do you deal with the scorching heat of summer? Surrounding oneself with cool-looking items to make a place look cooler and thus feel cooler, is a common practice around the world during summer. Japan is no exception. Some of the most popular traditional summer items—used long before the air conditioner was invented—are furin (wind chimes), sudare...