Five Crazy Days in Tokyo….. Part 4

Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate at Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa in Tokyo.

Our last full day in Tokyo we started by dropping Ewan in Akihabara. He was on a mission to find a figurine, and the rest of us were not keen for the noise and crazyness of Akiba. We continued on to Asakusa. Senso-Ji temple is amazing, and I wanted to show Harper. We started at … Continue reading Five Crazy Days in Tokyo….. Part 4

Five Crazy Days in Tokyo…… part 3

The only thing driving me out the door on our third day in Tokyo was coffee. We found a very cool little cafe, but sadly their coffee machine was broken. The owner, was however, making drip filter coffee, which is very popular in Japan. It takes an extrodinary amount of time to make, and is … Continue reading Five Crazy Days in Tokyo…… part 3

Five Crazy Days in Tokyo with Four Kids… part 2

Our second day in Tokyo was crazy busy and fun. We started out the day catching the train to Harajuku station. I love Harajuku. It is right next to Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Shrine, the station is old and quaint, and the shopping is bonkers. Our first port of call was Takeshita Dori. This … Continue reading Five Crazy Days in Tokyo with Four Kids… part 2

Thatched Rooves and Earthen Floors

Our last day in Takayama, we decided to visit the Hida Folk Village. We had toyed with the idea of visiting Shirakawa-go, a very picturesque and historical mountain village in the Northern Alps. However, there is no way to access the village without booking a formal tour, and it is a reasonable distance to travel. … Continue reading Thatched Rooves and Earthen Floors

Five Crazy Days in Tokyo with Four Kids…. Part 1

At the end of our last trip we spent five days in Tokyo. I didn't blog at all during that time as we were crazy busy, exhausted and trying to squeeze a lot into a few days. Tokyo is busy at the best of times, and when you are trying to cater to everyone's wishes, … Continue reading Five Crazy Days in Tokyo with Four Kids…. Part 1

Clear Water Temple 清水寺 

Kiyomizu-dera temple is one of the most famous temples in Kyoto. Lancy had planned an afternoon with her friend, Shuko's father, who is a professional potter, and we decided to spend the morning temple strolling and around the old areas of Higashiayama, on our way to her house. It was a perfect day for such … Continue reading Clear Water Temple 清水寺 

Serious Sakura

So, a little more than two years later and I am back in Japan. This time with a partner in crime, Super Sake Boy (what could possibly go wrong).... and four teenagers in tow, Ewan, Abby, Mya and Harper. We arrrived on Wednesday, a little dishevelled and tired, having had a 4 and 1/2 hour … Continue reading Serious Sakura

Eating out in Japan

When you go to a Japanese restaurant in Australia, or Brazil or Dubai, you are offered a veritable cornucopia of feasting options, including many different types of food. I had no idea that when we got to Japan that all of these delicious foods would be segregated from each other, in restaurants which specialize in … Continue reading Eating out in Japan

Why Japan Stole My Heart

I first visited Japan in March last year, 2015. I had always been fascinated with the culture, the food and the anime. When I asked my kids where in the world they would most like to go, Japan came up in everyone's top three. So, having always wanted to visit, we began planning our trip. … Continue reading Why Japan Stole My Heart