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 Oarai Station in Ibaraki and Girls Und Panzer
For those wanting to get away from the concrete jungle of Tokyo and want to visit a place that’s not too country and more of a seaside town, will surely want to take the trip to Ibaraki prefecture and visit Oarai. Granted, unlike seaside towns Read More …
The One about Abdellatif Kechiche’s “The Secret of the Grain”
When it comes to film that seem realistic by nature, verbose as if we are watching conversations with a perfect flow and for the most part, realism and conversation on the big screen done right, I’m a big supporter of those films. Eric Rohmer’s 1969 Read More …
The One about Good Barbeque in Nakameguro
When it comes to American-style BBQ, finding it in Tokyo was never an easy thing until now. With a Brooklyn-style, Good Barbeque is the go-to location for American-style BBQ and it’s located in the trendy Nakameguro area right near the overpass. While you can expect Read More …
The One about Haneda Airport
Before the 1930’s, aviators would use airstrips near beaches at Tokyo Bay to land. Long ago, Haneda was a town on Tokyo Bay until the Japanese postal ministry purchased the waterfront land from a private seller in order to construct an airport. Haneda airfield would Read More …
The One about Café 108 at Haneda Airport
I’m typically not a fan of airport kiosks. I feel they are overpriced and their prices are quite similar to prices at an amusement park or baseball park. But in Japan, they aren’t too expensive and they are great for… Getting rid of all your 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 How I Paid Off My College Loans
This morning, I was reading Eric Levitz article on “We Must Cancel Everyone’s Debt, for the Economy’s Sake”, especially reading the comments on universities should be “free” (for engineering, science and mathematically-founded degrees). For me, my college loans were sold while I was in 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 Ichiran and their awesome ramen
It was 1960 when a ramen stall known as Futaba Ramen was opened in Fukuoka but when the first generation shopkeepers, a married couple were going to closed down, many of their loyal customers begged for them to continue their business. Many wanted to make Read More …
The One about Ikebukuro Suitengu
When I am heading out to Ichiran Ramen, often I pass by an area of Ikebukuro that I usually don’t visit. There is a shrine in the location known as Ikebukuro Suitengu and for those who enjoy exploring small shrines, this one is a little Read More …
Q&A: The One about Answering Your Questions Part II
Hi everyone! I get asked a lot of questions in regards to traveling, so once in awhile, I’ll feature a Q&A on the site! So, let’s begin… If I need to make a phone call, are there pay phones around Japan that I can Read More …
The One about How I Became Interested in Japanese Culture
I’m often asked of how I became interested in Japanese culture. I know a lot of people get into it because of their interested in Japanese animation, the music, cinema and often pop culture-related. I think it would be a shock to some if I Read More …
Travel Guide: The One about How to Read a Tokyo Subway Route Map
In Tokyo, It’s quite easy to use the JR Trains, especially the main Yamanote Line. But there are times where you need to get to an area that is only served by a metro subway line which is NOT a JR East Train and you 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 the G-Shock Rangeman GPR-B1000 and the 35th Anniversary RED OUT Series
Casio announced in January the latest model in the RANGEMAN G-SHOCK Master of G series, “GPR-B1000″. Two models are planning to be released on March 9th, a black and khaki version for Y100,000 in Japan/$800+ in the US. The GPR-B1000 was announced at CES 2018 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 …