Flower Power! Getting Outdoors And Staying Safe
Apr 30, 2021 By Bert Wishart
It's frustrating. Every time it feels like Aichi has turned a corona corner, there's another spike, followed by tighter restrictions, and yet more events fall by the wayside. Of course, we want to be responsible and halt the spread, but there is a mental strain that results from spending so...[ Click to read more ]
Pretty in Pink – Finding Hiroshima’s Beautiful Plum Blossoms
Feb 26, 2021 By Bert Wishart
While the cherry blossom is the flower that tends to dominate the imagination of Japanese botanic appreciation, it is perhaps the plum (ume) blossom that should be the more celebrated. Reddish pink or white flowers distinguishable from the sakura by their split-ended petals and their strong sweet smell, before the...[ Click to read more ]
Plum Blossom Viewing in Tokyo – The Top Umemi Spots!
Jan 29, 2021 By Bert Wishart
While the cherry blossom is the flower that tends to dominate the imagination of Japanese botanic appreciation, it is perhaps the plum (ume) blossom that should be the more celebrated. Reddish pink or white flowers, they are distinguishable from the sakura by their split ended petals and their strong sweet...[ Click to read more ]
Winter Attractions in Tokyo
Jan 26, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
Wintertime around these parts usually means either taking in some winter sports like skiing and snowboarding or soaking in one of the numerous hot spring onsens around the countryside surrounding the metropolis. But there are a few other things you can check out around Greater Tokyo in the cold part of...[ Click to read more ]
Viewing the Magical Diamond Fuji from Tokyo
Dec 15, 2020 By Bert Wishart
Diamond Fuji is a twice annually phenomenon when the sunrise and sunset align perfectly with Mount Fuji’s summit, looking for all the world like a bright shining jewel placed atop the nation’s crown. There are many great places from which you can witness this startling sunset in Tokyo and the...[ Click to read more ]
Winter Illumination in Tokyo 2020
Nov 26, 2020 By Jason Gatewood
Christmas Day in Japan is just another working day for the most part. The most interesting facet of the Christmas and holiday season in Japan is that all traces of it will be gone by morning on December 26th. Without fail, every bell, light, and garlands; every decoration will come...[ Click to read more ]
Winter Illumination in Kansai 2020
Nov 19, 2020 By Justin Hanus
Don’t let the cold stop you from heading outside as there are beautiful displays of holiday lights throughout the Kansai region. Get out of the house and away from your kerosene heater to see as many of the winter illuminations as possible this December. They’ll leave you feeling full of...[ Click to read more ]
Winter Illumination in Hiroshima 2020
By Matt Mangham
Seasonal illuminations are a big deal in Japan. From the famous Kobe Luminarie, donated by the Italian government following the Great Hanshin Earthquake, to light festivals in Osaka, Sendai, Nagoya, and elsewhere, a chilly stroll through enchanting colored lights has become a prominent feature of winter in Japan. Hiroshima is...[ Click to read more ]
Craft Beer in Tokyo and Yokohama
Oct 20, 2020 By Bert Wishart
Japanese beer is usually thought of as just the 'big three': Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo. While these are great when ice cold on a scorching day, they aren't exactly the most interesting brews. However, right now, there is something of a craft beer revolution going on. While it is impossible...[ Click to read more ]
Go Potty at the Tokoname-yaki Pottery Festival
Sep 24, 2020 By Bert Wishart
Aichi is Japan's modern-day hub of automotive manufacture. Long before that, about 800 years before Mr. Toyoda's Type G Automatic Loom, Aichi was a hub for pottery. During the Heian Period (794-1185), Japan had 'Six Ancient Kilns' of ceramics production, two in Aichi: one at Seto, and the other -...[ Click to read more ]
