Themed high teas are very popular in Tokyo, and in the spirit of the season, I decided to try the “take home” Halloween High Tea from the Tokyo Grand Hyatt on Halloween Day.
Read moreHappy Halloween Tea!
Japan
Happy (Hokkaido) Halloween!
During my recent hiking trip to Hokkaido, I stopped by Niseko to see the town’s unusual–and delightful–Halloween display.
Read moreMacaque Some Friends at Arashiyama Monkey Park!
Arashiyama Monkey Park, where monkeys roam free and humans are in the cage…
Read moreSeikanji – a Hidden Mountain Temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward
While visiting Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera on July 6 (2021), I made a side trip to visit Seikanji–a mountain temple with beautiful views that most visitors don’t even realize is there.
Read moreKiyomizu-dera: A Mountainside Kyoto Temple With a Sacred Waterfall
On July 6, 2021, I celebrated my 50th birthday with a trip to Kyoto’s Kiyomizudera–one of my favorite temples in the ancient capital (partially because it combines two of my other favorite things: mountains and waterfalls).
Read moreHiking the Hakone Old Road, Part 2: Otama-ga-ike to Hatajuku
A virtual hike along Hakone’s “Old Road” from the beautiful pond called Otama-ga-Ike to one of Japan’s oldest continuously operating teahouses.
Read moreKakigori – a Japanese Summer Treat
One of the things I love most about living in Japan is the seasonal nature of Japanese food. While it’s sad to have some of your favorite treats fall off the menu when the calendar changes, it’s also exciting to look forward to seeing your favorites return the following year (and having the chance to find new favorites, too). Last summer, my son and I discovered a delicious spot to get kakigori–the fluffy shaved ice that’s a favorite summertime treat across Japan. Kurashiki Coffee at Toritsu-Daigaku station offers three different flavors: strawberry, matcha (powdered green tea), and tiramisu–each with a
Read moreThe Gardens of Tō-ji (Part 2 of 3)
Tō-ji sits a few blocks south of Kyoto Station, near the former entrance to the ancient capital. In addition to its remarkable history and architecture, this 8th century temple is home to a lovely garden, with graveled walking trails that lead across the grounds and around an expansive pond.
Read moreVisiting Tō-ji: a Temple Tied to Kyoto’s Ancient Past (Part 1 of 3)
In 794, Kyoto (then renamed Heian-kyo) became the capital of Japan. At that time, the official entrance to the city was in the south (the direction visitors came when approaching from the former capital of Nara). A pair of guardian temples stood on either side of the entrance, at the start of an enormous, broad, flat road that led from the official city entrance all the way to the Imperial Palace in the northern part of the city.
Read moreCHAPTER 27: Tokachidake
September 11, 2018 This photo supplement tracks the events in CLIMB: Leaving Safe and Finding Strength on 100 Summits in Japan. The captions offer “extra features” that didn’t make it into the book. On the morning of September 11, my Hokkaido Nature Tours guide (who I’d christened the Yamabushi) and I drove approximately 200 kilometers from Sapporo to Daisetsuzan National Park in Central Hokkaido–home to some of the tallest mountains in Hokkaido, including our target for the day: 2,077-meter Tokachidake (Mt. Tokachi). What look like “normal” cumulus clouds in the photo above are actually clouds of smoke and steam rising from the
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