The One about Graffiti in Japan
I’m often asked about how safe Japan is but also get asked a few times if there is graffiti and if it’s as bad as how things are in the US? Well, graffiti does exist, but not in the same manner in the US that Read More …
The One about the Visalia Obon Festival 2017
It’s Obon Festival time!!! I have blogged in the past about what an Obon Festival is and covered various events. And now the first Obon festival that I attended in the Central Valley for 2017 took place in the city of Visalia, California in Tulare Read More …
The One about High Heat and Dead Vegetable Plants
Vegetable garden update – June 24th. WTF!!! With the intense heat…my zucchini, bell pepper, kale and cauliflower plants which looked fantastic last weekend did not make it. With the temperatures reach between 105-110 degrees…they didn’t make it. According to this website: http://www.plantanswers.com/garden_column/june03/4.htm High temperatures speed Read More …
The One about Andrzej Wajda’s “Korczak”
“Korczak” is a powerful film that highlights one of the well-known humanitarians of the holocaust. Where monuments of Dr. Janusz Korczak is seen in Warsaw, of him holding the hands of children. He has left a legacy showcasing one man’s refusal to adapt to the Read More …
The One about Tsuri Yoka Desho aiming for an expensive fish but instead they caught a monstrosity
One of the most popular fishing YouTube channels, with over 1.75 million subscribers and over ten years of content, 釣りよかでしょう “Tsuri Yoka Desho” (which translates to “Fishing is Great, Isn’t It?”) continues to rake over a fifty thousand viewers per video, with many reaching over Read More …
The One about the Tomb of Kano Hogai in Yanaka
In yesterday’s post, I discussed the Okakura Tenshin Memorial Site in Yanaka and how he started the Japan Art Institute (Nihon Bijutsuin). But not far from the Memorial Site is the Tomb of Kano Hogai, a famouse Japanese painter of the early Meiji era. A Read More …
The One about the Okakura Tenshin Memorial Park Site of Okakura Tenshin’s Residence in Yanaka
Okakura Kakuzo (a.k.a. Okakura Tenshin) was a Japanese scholar who is known for the development of arts in Japan. Best known for his book “The Book of Tea”, Okakura was a scholar who learned English while attending a school which was operated by a Christian Read More …
My Organic Container-based Vegetable Garden – June 19, 2017 Update
So far the cherry tomatoes are kicking in…primarily the normal cherry tomatoes, chocolate cherry and the super snow white. I will have to say the snow white cherry tomatoes are absolutely sweet and delicious and definitely will continue to plant those. Costata Romanesco and Striata Read More …
The One about the Village Dioramas near the Otorii at Meiji Shrine
When I was a college student, I surprised everyone in my class when I built a makeshift island. It was a lot of work, took a lot of time but I wanted to create something unique and different. Needless to say, it was heavy and Read More …
The One about catching rockfish with HARDCORE SOLID VIBE(S) lure
Outside of Japan, the Yo-Zuri brand is known for their lures. But in Japan itself, the company is DUEL, which is a Japanese fishing tackle manufacturer located in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City in Fukuoka Prefecture. They manufacture lures, squid jigs, fishing lines and other small fishing Read More …
The One about the Flower Exhibition near the Otorii at Meiji Shrine
For those who are visiting the Meiji Shrine, sometimes you may find flower arrangements to village dioramas that were beautifully decorated. While I don’t know too much on the history of the actual dioramas, I do know that the chrysanthemum exhibition is often held in Read More …
Travel Guide: The One about Basic Economy
You booked a flight and got it very cheap and you are now excited. But many travelers are learning that the cheap flight they paid for was “basic economy” and not regular “economy”. And for those who have read about the confusion, frustration or the Read More …
The One about Crayonhouse in Tokyo and Osaka
Located in Omotesando (Tokyo) and in Osaka is a specialty shop known as Crayonhouse. Created with children and also the disabled in mind, Keiko Ochiai wanted to create a company that was not male or adult-centered. She wanted a place where children can enjoy and Read More …
The One about Fred Zinneman’s “From Here to Eternity”
Back in 1951, American author James Jones’ novel “From Here to Eternity” was released. Loosely based on his life as part of Company E of the Hawaiian’s Division’s 27th Infantry, the novel would win the National Book Award and would receive the distinction as one Read More …
The One about Habi Sushi in Porterville, California
I have eaten at awesome sushi restaurants throughout Japan and in America, I’ve eaten sushi throughout California. So, whenever people tell me to try a restaurant out, I usually wait in three’s. That is if I hear three people telling me to check it out, Read More …
The One about Hatonomorihachiman Shrine in Shibuya
Located near Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium is a shrine known as Hatonomorihachiman Shrine. Established in 860 AD, the shrine built and named after the forest originally in the location, was created under the request of the villagers, so a Goshintai (an object worshiped and housed Read More …
Travel Alert for U.S. Citizens: Hurricane and Typhoon Season 2017
The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the Hurricane and Typhoon Seasons in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane and Typhoon Season will last through November 2017, though most tropical cyclones typically develop between May and October. Read More …
The One about Anniversaire Cafe in Omotesando
For those visiting/shopping at Aoyama/Omotesando (and a second location at Minato Mirai in Yokohama) will no doubt want to check out Anniversaire Cafe. The name meaning “anniversary” in French, the restaurant was established in 1998, the restaurant is known for it’s house-made pastry and their Read More …
The One about the Stanley SHP1600 1600 Psi Electric Pressure Washer
For those who are looking for an electric pressure washer, Stanley offers different types of electric pressure washers. The one I am reviewing is the lower-priced 1600 psi (Stanley SHP 1600 Electric Pressure Washer) and is much cheaper as it has a lower psi (which Read More …
The One about the Kyushu Cat Uncle
In Tokyo, there is a man who is known to generate a crowd wherever he goes. Known as the Kyushu Cat Uncle, he travels to various locations around Tokyo to take his beloved cats for a walk. While for some people, seeing these cats in Read More …
The One about Ueshima Coffee Company
Located in Minato Ward and other locations is the Ueshima Coffee Company (UCC), a cafe that was first created in 1933 in Kobe. The owner of the Kona coffee farm in Hawaii, the company was formerly known as Ueshima Tadao Shoten in 1933 and then Read More …
The One about Leslie Ariss’ “The Man in Grey”
Today’s cinema selection goes to “The Man in Grey” directed by Leslie Ariss. A film that was featured in the Eclipse Series “Three Wicked Melodramas from Gainsborough Pictures”. With World War II affecting cinema worldwide, for Gainsborough Pictures, their production of melodrama films were important Read More …
The One about Bistro Tigre Bon Bon at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro
Are you a person who wants variety when you go to a Japanese restaurant? Are you in Tokyo with your family and you have children who are not so open to different types of food? Fortunately, there is Bistro Tigre Bon Bon, a restaurant inside Read More …