In Kagoshima (and maybe other places as well) you’ll find Sunamushi Onsens. So what are sunamushi onsen? First, let’s review regular onsen. As you probably know, regular onsens are hot springs where you get naked and step into a naturally hot bath with a bunch of other naked folk, usually of the same gender. Or, if you’re…
Fancy Bar in Tokyo: Gen Yamamoto
While I was living in Tokyo I hardly ever took the time to seek out the luxurious locales the city has to offer. Cause you know, money. Now that I’m not living there anymore when I go back I try to be a tourist and do something fancy. Tokyo has a lot of fancy bars….
Yuba – The Film on Top
Do you like tofu? Have you tried yuba? Yuba is often translated to tofu skin, and it’s a thin film of slightly firm film that forms on top of tofu when it is slowly heated. I can’t cook, but apparently it is possible to make yuba at home. If you’re in Japan it may take…
Warabi mochi in Kyoto
Ah, warabimochi. Read about warabimochi on Wikipedia. Is it one word or two? Does it have a hypen? These are the questions I have asked myself… and set aside because all I really want to do here is show you some photos and encourage you to try warabimochi the next time you are in Kyoto….
Chill and Healthy Dining at Iyemon Salon Atelier Kyoto
I met up with some friends in Kyoto last time I was there and they took me to this spot called Iyemon Salon Atelier Kyoto for lunch. It had been a while since I had a meal in a restaurant with a fancy and traditional feel so it felt really special. There were four of…
Handa Matsuri 2004
Summer 2004 I went to a pretty interesting Japanese festival called Handa Matsuri. It actually takes place in Kamesaki ( 亀崎). You can get there in about one hour from Nagoya. I have to say I am lacking details on the history of this festival, but that can be found elsewhere. During this festival enormous dashi…