Discovering Japan’s flavors, charm, and culture through my travels.
I’m back with a special feature from my recent family trip to the Kansai region of Japan: the shopping story. During our Kyoto-Osaka-Nara adventure, our family split into two teams for a day: the “Deer Team” and the “Shopping Team.” While my husband and kids had a blast with the deer in Nara, my mother … Read more
A Shopper’s Guide to Tableware in Tokyo: 8 Recommended Stores in Shibuya, Daikanyama, and Kappabashi This is a shopping guide for tableware enthusiasts planning a trip to Tokyo. Based on my own experience of creating a “Dish Road” on Google Maps tailored to my wife’s tastes, I’ve compiled practical information on eight select and specialty … Read more
One of the greatest joys of traveling in Tokyo is exploring its food scene. Beyond the dazzling main streets, countless restaurants capture the hearts of locals, whether through unique concepts or by being simply tucked away, waiting to be discovered. Here are five Tokyo restaurants I personally visited and loved, each with its own distinct … Read more
Spring. News of cherry blossoms. We will not go this year. My wife does not want to. Instead, I retrieve memories of Kyoto. The machiya with the children. Those few days. The inn was near Higashiyama Station in Kyoto. It was called Washi no Yado Nazuna Higashiyama. A two-story wooden house, all to ourselves. Location … Read more
Osaka. The air is thick with the smell of food. We came to eat. We sought out the places locals frequent. Five of them. This is the account. 1. Tsutenkaku Motsunabe (Dotonbori) We had intended to go to a fishing restaurant. ‘Zauo,’ it was called. They said you caught your fish, and they cooked it. … Read more