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...

Dec 4, 2012

Note: The other day the local TV station did a feature on this year’s job hunting college students. Seeing the young people’s plain dark suits and faces—full of hope and uncertainty, fear and anxiety—reminded me of long ago, when I was among them. I wrote this article in retrospect, interspersing the text with photos of Ginza, Tokyo where the...

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...

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...