One of my constant surprises of living in Tokyo is how seemingly everything is packed within 13,500 km2 of Tokyo 23 wards' geographical area.I always feel that if you have a slight interest in anything, you'll be able to find a community and a venue where you can get stuck into it, even if it's an obscure … Continue reading Surf within Tokyo concrete jungle? Getting active at Sporu Shinagawa Oimachi
Tokyo seemed to have skipped the rainy season and we have reached summery 30 degrees days toward the end of last week🥵. Saying that, last Sunday was a bit drizzly in the early afternoon and not the ideal weather to be heading to beachside, but it was a fitting weather to see some hydrangea which … Continue reading Saying hi to hydrangea to start the Tokyo summer
Maybe it’s because I’m in my thirties and people around me are of a similar age or a little older but there has been a lot, A LOT of babies being born in the last 12 months or so (some benefit of staying at home during the pandemic, perhaps?). In my relatively small company of … Continue reading Baby bump, bachelor then baby?
As Tokyo and a number of other prefectures drag on the state of the emergency (which has been extended again during June), we continue to explore our neighbourhood. One thing that I really cherish since moving back to Japan is the fact that I can visit shrines⛩. There are tiny shrines without priest and there … Continue reading Step up to success at Atago Shrine
After a long, refreshing holiday in Kyushu, I should be recharged and full of energy....but I'm a bit blah. It can be the post-holiday blues but it's probably because I haven't seen sunlight for a week, Japan is entering 梅雨 (tsuyu or East Asian rainy season) early this year. Usually in Kanto region which includes … Continue reading Yutsu na Tsuyu ~ melancholy rainy season that sweeps Japan~
This week's post is the third and final part of Kyushu Road Trip we traveled to the southern region in Japan during our Golden Week 2021 holiday. (If you missed the previous posts, here are the links to the previous posts of Kyushu road trip:- Part 1 where we started our journey in onsen prefecture … Continue reading Kyushu road trip part 3
During the Golden Week holiday season that started from April 29, we have been road tripping in Kyushu, Japan. Last week, I shared the first 2 days of our trip where we flew into Oita prefecture to enjoy onsen in Japan’s onsen town, Beppu, and drove to Kumamoto in the mountain side (if you missed … Continue reading Kyushu road trip part 2
Hello from Kyushu! Japan is now in Golden Week. Starting with Showa Day on Thursday April 29, the Golden Week where public holidays occur one after another making it a long, long weekend continues until the following Wednesday where public holidays of Constiution Day (May 3), Green Day (May 4) and Children’s Day (May 5) … Continue reading Kyushu road trip part 1
Collectively known as 谷根千 (Yanesen) which takes the first syllable from the 3 adjacent suburbs of 谷中(Yanaka), 根津 (Nezu) and 千駄木 (Sendagi) in Bunkyo ward, this area is a popular strolling area with a 下町 (Shitamachi or downtown) vibe. Luckily, the areas avoided bombing during wars and many temples and buildings have been preserved. Similar … Continue reading Tokyo suburbs highlight: “Yanesen” Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi
This week, 10 prefectures have entered まん延防止等重点措置 (Manen boushi tou jyuten sochi), shortened to "manen"⚠️ . This is slightly different from state of emergency where instead of an entire prefecture restriction, the restriction is focused on specific city or cities with high infection number. Started in Osaka, Hyogo and Miyagi on April 5, it has … Continue reading Tokyo suburb highlight: Yoyogi Uehara
Native Expat 