Sep 3, 2012

Where to go in Tokyo when you want to look at lots of pretty fish and penguins? The friendly, neighborhood Tokyo Sea Life Park! Tokyo Sea Life Park 葛西臨海水族園 (Kasai Rinkai Suizokuen) is a favorite in the Kanto area because it is very easy to access by train. (Continued after the Japanese...

Sep 1, 2012

Yey! Don’t you just love the season of red-and-gold leaves and clear night skies? Autumn is my absolute favorite season, not because I was born in autumn—these days birthdays only remind me of how I’m aging against my will!—but because of the fascinating burst of colors in the crisp autumn air. (Continued after the Japanese...

Jun 24, 2012

Is there a train station that you’ve been using for years and yet never found out some of the fun places a few steps away? I’ve been living in Yokohama City in Japan for nearly three years before I found out that above the Yokohama train station, on top of a department store, is a lovely little...

Apr 23, 2012

One of the nice things about road transportation in Japan is the presence of Service Areas (SA’s　or rest stops) along expressways. Each SA houses restaurants or food courts, coffee shops, souvenir shops, outdoor food stalls, gasoline stations, and most importantly, plenty of clean restrooms. Some even have parks, dog walks, shower booths and beds for...

Apr 8, 2012

I’ve been asked by an acquaintance, who has been in Japan for about three months, about my favorite 花見 hanami (lit. “flower viewing”; is more like a “cherry blossom appreciation party”) spot in Tokyo. Kudos to her for wanting to go—a key to understanding Japan is to observe (or better yet, participate in) the phenomenon that is...