With just a cursory look at Japanese television, you would be forgiven for believing that Japan's music industry was an endless parade of identikit Johnny's boy bands or sprawling AKB-48 affiliated...[ Click to read more ]
Now and again, something pops up in the zeitgeist that comes right out of left field. Some of these things are fads that slip away as quickly as they came...[ Click to read more ]
So, over the holidays, you indulged until you were fit to burst. We’ve all been there, but now you’ve noticed that you’ve put on a few pounds and can shake...[ Click to read more ]
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,...[ Click to read more ]
"Show me a man who is good at pool, and I'll show you a man who had a misspent youth," my father once said. It was one of those times...[ Click to read more ]
You know how it goes. Every day has felt like yet another Monday, and it felt as if Friday would never come. And now it's finally here, Friday afternoon. You...[ Click to read more ]
There is no doubt that, living here in Japan, we are spoiled to have on our doorstep some of the world’s finest cuisine. However, it has to be said that...[ Click to read more ]
Look I’m just going to say it. I’m not a fan of zoos and my first visit to Japan and see the zoo in the 1980s left me indignant and...[ Click to read more ]
Cold noodles are just what the doctor ordered in the sweltering Japanese Summer! Noodles are an essential staple of Japanese cuisine, eaten by people of all ages in every part of...[ Click to read more ]
Mitaki Temple (or Mitaki-dera) isn’t as off the beaten path as it once was. All the online references to a “hidden gem” seem to have had their inevitable effect, and...[ Click to read more ]