Atsuta Jingu and Ise Jingu

I decided to start the year in style – Japanese style!  On January 1st, my mum and I went to Atsuta Jingu, and on January 2nd we went to Ise Jingu.  These shrines are, I believe, two of the biggest and most important shrines in the Shinto religion.  Of course, that means that both shrines … Continue reading →

A Very Japanese New Year…

あけましておめでとうございます！ Happy New Year! I had the pleasure of spending my New Year’s Eve doing very typical Japanese things, with my mum, my friends and their family, in Anjo.  New Year (Oshogatsu) is a big deal in Japan, probably the biggest festival, so it was totally awesome to do it properly! First, a feast was … Continue reading →

Showa Mura

On December 31st, some friends took my mum and I to Showa Mura in Gifu Prefecture.  Sorry, that website is in Japanese and I can’t find any real information about it in English (unlike its slightly more popular cousin, Meiji Mura).  Showa Mura, as you would expect, celebrates the Showa period of Japanese history, 1926 … Continue reading →

Four days in Hokkaido: snowmen, and sushi, and orgel, oh my!

Last Sunday, February 8th, I got up at the crack of dawn and flew to Sapporo, Hokkaido!  As a result of luck and careful planning, I managed to get a four day weekend, so I planned on spending three nights in Sapporo, perfectly timed to go to the 60th Sapporo Snow Festival (ゆきまつり).  Originally I … Continue reading →

A Kansai adventure… Foxes, deer, and grilled sparrows – oh my!

あけましておめでとうございます！  Happy New Year! I’ve just spent a week staying at the Palace Side Hotel in Kyoto with my mum.  When I went to Kyoto for the first time, almost three years ago, I stayed at K’s House for four nights, and thought that was more than enough.  Both are places I would recommend for … Continue reading →

Onigiri, illuminations and birthday cake…

I had a lovely day on Sunday.  I went to a friend’s family home in Anjo, where I was shown how to make onigiri (something I have attempted and failed before!).  It’s actually a lot easier than I thought – once you know how! First you make a ball of rice.  Then you make a … Continue reading →

The orange leaves and blue lights of Tokyo in December…

To make the most of our Tokyo Disneyland trip, my friend and I stayed in a hostel in Tokyo on Sunday night, and had a day in Tokyo itself on Monday.  It felt really good to get away for the weekend.  We stayed at the Sakura Hotel in Jimbocho, which is actually the very first … Continue reading →