For those who have read my post about the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass), I first recommend after activation at a JR Station to discuss with them on getting shinkansen tickets in advance (as you want to make sure you get your seat before finding Read More …
Nishiarai Daishi (西新井大師), known formally as Sojiji (総持寺), is a relatively large Shingon Buddhist temple located in the northeastern part of Tokyo. It is said to have been founded in 826 by Shingon Sect founder Kukai. This temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism, Read More …
So, you are traveling to Japan and want to figure out how to travel Japan on a budget and are interested in the Japan Rail Pass. Should you get a 7-Day, 14-Day or 21-Day JR Pass? Should you get one at all? If you are Read More …
For those who have looked at the night sky, tonight’s supermoon (a.k.a. perigee-syzygy) is 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual. Since 1948, this is the closest the moon has been to Earth in 69 years and the next time it will happen is in Read More …
Located in one of Tokyo’s largest park areas is Ueno Zoo, one of Japan’s oldest zoos which was opened back in 1882. Only a five-minute walk from Ueno Station and one that can be reached via train or the Ueno zoo Monorail, the Ueno Zoo Read More …
You have probably been introduced to PIKOTARO’s “PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)”, as the 50-second music video from the comedian Daimaou Kosaka turned viral. Personally, I never expected the video to become so popular and the fact that it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Read More …
Tsukiji fish market may be known for its fresh fish and its many sushi restaurants, but the location is also well known for its tamagoyaki. Think of tamagoyaki as a Japanese omelette with its egg rolled together to make up several layers of a cooked Read More …
Located in Arakawa, Tokyo and in an area with loud trains passing by over the location is the Kozukappara Execution Grounds. A location, one of the three of what was then known as the vicinity of Edo, was where criminals were executed by the Tokugawa Read More …
Today’s cinema selection goes to…. no, it’s not Oliver Stone’s “JFK” but to filmmakers who have created JFK documentaries that air on television during this time to commemorate the death of President John F. Kennedy. First, let me say that I enjoyed Oliver Stone’s “JFK” Read More …
Folgers is one of the best well-known coffee brands in the United States. The company’s history dates back in 1850 when it was known as Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills based in San Francisco, California. As owner Michael Eden wanted to produce roasted and Read More …
And the Tokyo Ward challenge has been completed! I have visited all 23 Tokyo Wards and it was definitely one of the more exciting adventures I have taken part of. It was a blast! And now to end my final week in Tokyo an Read More …
For those who are being initiated to coffee, many start off having a disdain because of the bitterness. Some start off with medium roast or dark roast because they hear other coffee connoisseurs talking about it, blogging about it. And then they try it and Read More …
Before 1981, entrepreneur Bob Stiller discovered a cup of coffee that he enjoyed so much at a ski resort that it prompted him and a partner to buy a two-thirds stake in the small specialty coffee roasting company in Waitsfield, Vermont. The company produced roasted Read More …
If you are passionate about Gundam, there is no doubt a goal that many have of going to Japan, going to Odaiba and seeing the Mobile Suit Gundam RG 1/1 RX-78-2 Ver. GFT in all its glory. If you are into gunpla, seeing the 1:1 Read More …
“The Secret in Their Eyes” won the Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language” film, before I watched the film, I was stunned. Could there be anything better than Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon”, Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani’s “Ajami” or even the film which I Read More …