Yesterday morning we woke up really early, one because Book and Bed was quite warm and I was feeling a little overheated. Two, the two hour time difference means we have suddenly become early risers, and we haven't really clocked in, body clock wise..... we had possibly the best coffee I have ever had, then … Continue reading Kyoto…. Like Coming Home
As a follower of Japanese culture, if you have never seen Midnight Diner on Netflix, you need to stop reading this blog for a moment and queue it up. It is one of Nihonshu Girl’s and my favourite television shows - ever. It is set in a diner in the backstreets of Shinjuku which opens … Continue reading Looking for the Master
Sitting on the plane, about two and half hours from Tokyo, I am contemplating what I am most looking forward to, and what I have missed most since the last time I was there. Sake, sake, sake…. Sake is super cheap in Japan, around a third the cost of what we pay in Australia. The … Continue reading Five Things in Japan I am Most Looking Forward To
This is a question people ask me on an almost weekly basis. "I have four nights booked in Kyoto. Is this long enough?" I find this question really difficult to answer. For a number of reasons. Firstly, I have spent around a month, all together, in Kyoto. I am about to return for just 3 … Continue reading “How long do I need in Kyoto?”
Featured image credit The final shogun family in Japan was the Tokugawa Shogunate, also called the Bakafu. Under the rule of the Tokugawa, Japan entered into a period of isolation, called the Sakoku Jidai, translating to time of national isolation or exclusion of foreigners. The policy was enacted between 1633-39 by Tokugawa Iemitsu, and relations … Continue reading Uniquely Japanese- Sakoku 鎖国
One of my favourite uniquely Japanese words is Kintsugi. The first kanji (syllable) means gold, and the direct translation is "gold splicing"... when a piece of pottery gets broken, the Japanese fix it, not trying to make the repair invisible, but by making the repair gold, and very noticeable. The reasoning is that they believe … Continue reading Uniquely Japanese- Kintsugi 金継ぎ or Kintsukuroi 金繕い
Last time we were in Kyoto, our friend Maki-san took us to a pet store. I'm not sure what I expected, but it was definitely not what we encountered. I was blown away, amazed with the cuteness, slightly disconcerted by the types of pets for sale and amused by some of the services available.... The … Continue reading Japanese Pet Store Surprises
In three weeks, and about 5 days, Super Sake Boy and I are heading back to Japan. This trip is going to be a little different. We are going without children, and only for a week. Our intention is to make it a week of memorable sake and food, lots of historical stuff and quite … Continue reading 楽しみですよ。(Tanoshimidesuyo) or I am looking forward to it……
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
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
