Full Moon Tea Ceremony at Shukkei-en in Hiroshima
Aug 28, 2018 By Matt Mangham
Tsukimi, or Moon Viewing, is a Japanese tradition going back to the Heian period, when portions of the old Chinese mid-Autumn festivals blended with local practices to create one more reason for the aristocracy of Kyoto to stay up all night. The classic portrayal of the Heian Moon Viewing Party...[ Click to read more ]
WoodEgg Okonomiyaki Museum Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
I regularly meet people traveling through Hiroshima. And because my wife has suggested I be friendlier, I ask them what they’ve seen and enjoyed. Most of the answers are unsurprising, but recently a number of tourists have been especially enthusiastic about the WoodEgg Okonomiyaki Museum. The WoodEgg (yes, one word)...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima International Animation Festival 2018
Jul 30, 2018 By Matt Mangham
Both of my daughters have attended and enjoyed this wonderful local film festival for their entire lives. If you’re living in Hiroshima, or are lucky enough to be passing through town between the August 23 and 27, you have to make time in your schedule to drop by, if only...[ Click to read more ]
August 6th, Anniversary of the Bombing of Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
The entire world knows what happened in Hiroshima on the morning of August 6th, 1945. Today, the events that occurred on that date and in the following days are one of the main reasons that Hiroshima receives such a disproportionately high number (for a city its size) of visitors. You...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo’s rise of the premium BBQ sites
Jul 27, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
As long as we have known fire, we’ve also known barbecue. Most of humanity would agree that there’s nothing beating a few pieces of meat and/or veg on the grill, with the smoke from the coals helping to give it a flavor that’s unmistakably summertime. We Tokyoites have it rough...[ Click to read more ]
Splish, Splash, Sploosh!: Your Guide to Tokyo’s Waterparks
Jun 26, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
When the air outside is thick with humidity, cicadas begin their endless chirping, the stores start stocking endless varieties of flavored bottled water and teas, and all the kids start sporting “playground tans”, Tokyo Summertime has finally come. We are the enviable environment to enjoy a trip to the beach,...[ Click to read more ]
Let’s Tour Tokyo: Kichijoji
By Jason Gatewood
It’s been awhile since I last introduced a part of Tokyo you may not be so familiar with, so this time we’ll head westward from Shinjuku to visit the Kichijoji (吉祥寺) district. This area is centered around the junction of the JR Chuo Line and Keio Inokashira Line at its...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima Port Dream Fireworks
By Matt Mangham
Summer in Japan just doesn’t quite work without taking in at least one fireworks show. Hiroshima has several, but the two big crowd pleasers are the Miyajima show in August, and what is called the Yumehanabi, or “Dream Fireworks” from Hiroshima Port in the Ujina district. Formerly held directly in...[ Click to read more ]
Get Your Grill On – Nagoya’s BBQ Spots
May 29, 2018 By Bert Wishart
The Japanese have something of a love/hate relationship with the summer months. As soon as the mercury climbs above 25 degrees, women break out the parasols, curtains are pulled tight to keep out sunlight, and everyone’s vocabulary is limited to a single word: atsui (hot!). But that is not to say...[ Click to read more ]
Rice Planting Events in Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
I always recommend venturing out of the city if you can. Rural Hiroshima Prefecture is a knockout, and this is a wonderful time of year. The spring foliage still shows its fresh, pale green on the hills, and the worst of the summer heat is weeks away. Most of the...[ Click to read more ]
