8 Most Popular Posts (Last Seven Days)
Category Archives: Travel
8Books Review: Essential Japanese Grammar
After having gotten hooked on learning some legit Japanese for my trip to Japan last year, I’ve been rarin’ to continue my Japanese language skills for a future return trip to Kyoto study tea ceremony traditions. Thus, when given the … Continue reading
Traveling Japan: McDonald’s in Japan
I suppose it is fitting to talk about McDonald’s in Japan as it was the last stop before we headed back home Stateside, a sort of transition from Japan to America. I have pretty much removed McDonald’s from my dietary … Continue reading
Posted in Food, Food & Drink, Travel
Tagged AOT, Attack on Titan, Chew on This, Eating Animals, Ebi, Ebi Filet-o-fish, filet-o-fish, Japan, mcdonalds, mikasa, travel
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: Kyoto Snowstorm
Before we begin this little journey through a Kyoto winter wonderland, I should start with the disclaimer that I grew up in sunny southern California. I put on a scarf whenever the temp goes under 70 degrees Fahrenheit. When I … Continue reading
Traveling Japan: Toei Kyoto Studio Park
It’s quite lovely to experience Kyoto’s preserved machiya neighborhoods and many ancient temples, but equally fun and still historic is the Toei Kyoto Studio Park. Basically, imagine Universal Studios but minus all the big fancy rides and massive studio set … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, Travel
Tagged anime, Japan, japanese, kyoto, kyoto inferno, ninja, power rangers, rurouni kenshi, samurai, sentai, toei, Toei kyoto studio park
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: New Year’s Festival at Yasaka Shrine
If you watch a lot of anime, you may have noticed that festivals are a big deal in Japanese culture and story telling. Just like there’s usually a onsen hot spa episode, a beach episode, or a class field trip … Continue reading
Traveling Japan: Shinbashi Dori in Gion
From various sources, I read that Shinbashi Dori has been called the most beautiful street in Asia. After reading that, I couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity to hunt this street of beauty down and check it out. So, with … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged geisha, gion, Japan, shimbashi district, travel, yasaka shrine
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: Kyoto’s Ninen Zaka & Sannen Zaka
While researching places to go in Kyoto, I have to admit, I was trying to live my Rurouni Kenshin years and wanted to see “old Kyoto” where ever it may still exist, while temples and gardens are key destinations in … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Japan, kiyomizudera, kyoto, kyoto inferno, ninen zaka, rurouni kenshin, sannen zaka
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: Kiyomizudera
除夜の鐘|Joya no Kane #kyoto #kiyomizudera #japan #temple #清水寺#京都#日本#寺 A photo posted by 音羽山 清水寺|Kiyomizu-dera (@feel_kiyomizudera) on Dec 31, 2014 at 9:32am PST The image above is of Kiyomizudera buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, the night I was there. Except I … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: Kyoto’s Heian Shrine
The Heian Shrine is one of those major stops in Kyoto. It’s one of the main shinto shrines in the country, and its torii is one of the largest in all of Japan. It’s a symbol of revival for Kyoto … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged heian shrine, Japan, kyoto, shinto, shinto shrine, temple, torii
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: Arashiyama’s Okochi-Sanso Villa
The Okochi-Sanso Villa in Arashiyama used to be the home of a famous actor named Denjiro Okochi. As I was researching the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest destination, I saw mention of this, read a little about it, saw some beautiful pictures … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged arashiyama, architecture, art, garden, Japan, kyoto, Okochi-Sanso Villa, tea, tea garden
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: Arashiyama’s Tenryu-ji Temple
We had come to this area primarily for the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, but we found so much more than we had expected. One of the things about the city of Kyoto is that there’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site around … Continue reading
Posted in Religion, Travel
Tagged buddhism, Japan, kyoto, rinzia, tenryuji temple, zen, zen buddhism
Leave a comment
Traveling Japan: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
The Arashiyama area is a “touristy” location, which makes it sound like one of those ugly tourist traps flooded with souvenir shops vomiting cheap goods onto sidewalks. Not so. It does have souvenir tourist shops, but a lot of the … Continue reading