The One about Hitachi Seaside Park Part 5: Hinano Hayashi Woods and Kinen no Mori Forest

After leaving Miharashi Village, walking towards the path, you will enter an area called Hinano Hayashi Woods. If you thought the Hitachinaka Natural Forest was the primary forest, you’ll quickly learn that Hitachi Seaside Park has more smaller areas that are considered forests or woods. Read More …

The One about Hitachi Seaside Park Part 4: Miharashi Village

After leaving Sawada Spring Water Nature House, to be truthful, I wasn’t sure where to go next.  Should I go right, should I go left? I actually went right and realized, it was a dead end. Because I went in December, the blue nemophila flowers Read More …

The One about Hitachi Seaside Park Part 3: Sawada Spring Water Nature House

Continuing my coverage from Hitachi Seaside Park, I had a choice of which area to go…left or right and I ended up choosing “Sawada Spring Water Nature House”. The area was created as a learning center to learn about the environment and the ecosystem of Read More …

The One about Hitachi Seaside Park Part 2 – Hitachinaka Nature Forest

Continuing where I last left off with Hitachi Seaside Park in part 1, one of the things that amazed me with this park is that there is an actual forest.  As a matter of fact, this park has so many other areas that I’m just Read More …

The One about Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Part 1

Located in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki (a prefecture in the northeastern part of the Kanto region) is Hitachi Seaside Park (Kokuei Hitachi Kaihinkoen). For those who are wondering, if this park is owned by the electronics company, Hitachi? Well, the town of Hitachinaka is no doubt a Read More …

The One about Valle Grullense in Hanford, California

This past weekend, I was in Hanford, California to visit a Mexican restaurant, Valle Grullense. I have heard a lot of wonderful things about this restaurant and when I hear they have great burritos but also a lot of variety of dishes, I had to Read More …

The One about the Tomb of Kondo Isami (Commander of the Shinsengumi) in Kita ward

Located across the street from Itabashi Station in Kita ward is a memorial for Isami Kondo, the Japanese swordsman who is known as the commander of the Shinsengumi (a special police force organized by the military government – Bakufu). The Shinensumi was established by the Read More …

The One about Pomme no Ki – My favorite place to visit for omurice!

I’m often asked if there is a restaurant that I always visit when I’m in Japan.  There are a few, but there is one that I keep coming back for their excellent omurice and that’s Pomme no Ki. For those not familiar with omurice, this Read More …

The One about the Odaiba Takoyaki Museum

One of the popular Japanese snacks that you will often see or hear about is takoyaki. Invented in the city of Osaka during the 1930’s, now this popular Osakan street food can be found all over Japan and abroad. Made of wheat flour-based batter and Read More …

The One about Udagawa Cafe “Suite” in Shibuya

Udagawa Cafe “Suite” is a place for those looking to chill in Shibuya, eat and drink with friends ’til midnight Formerly known as “Udagawa Sweets”, the cafe promotes fancy meals and cakes and because of the vibe and convenience, it’s a location (found at Shibuya’s Read More …

The One about Jacoyaki at Kamakura

In the Shonan and Kamakura area of Kanagawa, there is one street food that I absolutely love and it’s called jacoyaki (or jakoyaki) While takoyaki (a popular Japanese snack made of wheat flour-batter and cooked in a molded pan and inside is octopus, tempura, pickled Read More …