Just like in autumn, the cherry blossom light-up is waiting for you once night falls. So, naturally, off to the famous Kiyomizu-dera. The traffic all the way to the parking lot was so bad that I think we spent…
Since I came to Kyoto to see the cherry blossoms, I obviously couldn’t skip the famous blossom spots. First stop was Maruyama Park. There were loads of cherry trees, but the whole place felt pretty chaot…
Honestly, there aren’t many places in Kyoto that are really worth eating at. It’s either expensive or not tasty. (Most of the time it’s both.) I guess that’s because the whole city is o…
I went to Okuni in Izumo, a place famous for its miso ramen. That rich miso ramen broth looks like it would be great for a hangover. The thick braised pork was good too. The basic ramen The ajitama egg is goo…
Wagyu, Japanese beef, is pricey, yet plenty of people love it. I suppose that’s because the quality control is so thorough that the flavor is guaranteed. Once you get to nationally famous names like Mats…
There was an exhibition in Odaiba, so I went on a business trip to Tokyo. Since it was for work I didn’t get many chances to take photos, but here are a few. Mr. Kaspersky, flown in from Russia He’…
Riding the regional ramen boom, styles like Onomichi, Tokushima, Kitakata, Wakayama and Sapporo ramen have all become popular. The local character is nice, but they’re not especially outstanding in taste…
After striking out at Nakamura, I headed straight to Yamashita nearby. This is another famous shop where the line never stops. I suspect it’s probably the best-known name in the whole Sanuki area. You ca…
Shikoku is famous for its pilgrimage route around 88 temples, but Konpira-san isn’t a temple at all. It’s a shrine called Kotohira-gu. When I told people I was going on a trip to Shikoku, lots of t…
Ritsurin Garden is one of the must-see sights in Takamatsu. It’s right in the middle of the city, and since it looked small for a park I went back and forth on whether to bother, but I had some time left…
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Matsuyama is Dogo Onsen, said to be the oldest hot spring in Japan. So it was the very first place I headed when I got to Matsuyama. A full view of Dogo Ons…
On the morning of day three of my Shikoku trip, the first place I went after arriving in Matsuyama was Dogo Onsen. After parking at the hot spring, I could see Matsuyama Castle way off on top of a mountain. I&…