Who doesn't love mysteries, puzzles and a good scavenger hunt? Ever year, Tokyo Metro, the larger of Tokyo's two subway systems, hosts "The Underground Mysteries", a scavenger hunt featuring their subway stations and the neighborhoods surrounding them. This year, the game is now on, and continues through January 31, 2019. You've got to try it! … Continue reading Underground Mysteries: a Tokyo scavenger hunt
My friend invited me to dinner on Suship, telling me where to be and when, and reminding me not to be late! She didn’t want me to “miss the boat”. Yes, Suship is really a "ship"; a dinner boat that serves a delightful fixed menu meal of sushi and other traditional Japanese dishes. Fortunately, being … Continue reading Ahoy! Set sail for supper on Suship
There are so many wonderful museums across Tokyo and across Japan. Sometimes one finds the greatest treasures in the smallest of them. The current special exhibit at the Ota Folk Museum, "Ota-ku in art: scenes portrayed by writers and artists", is one such treasure. The exhibit, on the second floor of the museum, features woodblock … Continue reading Ota-ku in art: scenes portrayed by writers and artists
Jiyugaoka has a reputation for being a trendy area to shop, dine and relax with friends. Its narrow brick or stone-paved laneways lined with shops and eateries are inviting to pedestrians. One could spend hours meandering here. This week-end (September 1-2, 2018), however, suburban Jiyugaoka returns to its agrarian roots as its local shrine celebrates … Continue reading Jiyugaoka’s Kumano Shrine festival – celebrating the harvest
The moon is full, the night is balmy, and you just wanna kick up your heels and dance! Maybe that sentiment explains the origins of the Anamori Inari Lantern Festival taking place this weekend at Anamori Inari Shrine near Haneda Airport. There is still time to join the Saturday night portion of the festival, or … Continue reading Lanterns and dancing: the Anamori Inari Lantern Festival
By special guest blogger: Oliver Trapnell In the West, many people associate stone-related art with great masculine sculptures such as Michelango’s 'David', the Renaissance, and other famous names such as da Vinci and Donatello. Whilst these sculptors focused on realism, Japan was focusing on creating abstract works using the same canvas (in fact, at the … Continue reading The Zenith of Stone
By special guest blogger: Oliver Trapnell Utilizing some of the latest technology, teamLab has created a truly unique experience in which one can interact and visualise art in new ways. The opening last month of ‘teamLab Borderless’ at the MORI Building Digital Art Museum (1-3 Aomi, Kōtō-ku, Tokyo-to) has been a rousing success attracting hundreds … Continue reading Borderless Art
A couple of weeks after a trip to Tottori earlier this year, I was delighted to take delivery of a small package from Tottori, but a bit puzzled and surprised by how light it was. While I was in Tottori, I had the pleasure of visiting Hoshoji-yaki Kaikegama, a pottery studio/kiln in Yonago, where I … Continue reading Experiencing Japanese ceramics firsthand
By special guest blogger: Oliver Trapnell Despite being a bit of a taboo subject in some countries, LGBTQ groups have become increasingly visible all over the world. Japan is no exception. In Japan, as more people come to understand and accept diversity in society, there has been a gradual growth in both support for and … Continue reading The Pride of Tokyo
I was recently talking to a friend about Japanese baseball teams and, as Americans, we were both puzzled by Hiroshima's mascot of carp. It seemed to us a bit...well, floppy. Neither of us could fathom why a baseball team would choose a slippery, silvery, floppy fish as its symbol. Then we put on our cultural … Continue reading Koinobori: symbols of strength, courage, and perseverance
Japan has many traditional performing arts, each with its own origin and style. Noh, which dates back to the 14th century, combines music, dance and drama, as well as the distinctive feature of performers who are often masked. The plays are often historic legends and the language used is often so old that even native … Continue reading Which part of “Noh” don’t you understand?
In the opening scene of the 1968 movie, "Admiral Yamamoto", starring the great Mifune Toshiro, Yamamoto is being ferried across a river in his hometown and is challenged by the boatman to make the crossing standing on his head, thereby demonstrating his superior balance and seamanship. Perhaps because I know there was a time in … Continue reading A traditional river crossing…and meandering old neighborhoods
Jigsaw Japan 