Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Just recently, I landed back in Japan after a few weeks reconnecting with the last remnants of family that I still have in the States. After arriving and smoothly making my way through customs without an overly aggressive agent grilling…
FAM Tour (n.)Short for “familiarization tour.” A complimentary and often financially incentivized trip organized by a destination, DMO, or tourism bureau to acquaint professionals such as travel agents, influencers, bloggers, and journalists with what the region has to offer. As…
“Kitanai naaaa, omae,” a Japanese salaryman scowled at me, glaring with the lifeless eyes of a dead fish. I had just left the convenience store outside Asakusa Station and was parting ways with a family member staying at one of…
The topic of today’s article is one that has recently emerged from the zeitgeist of the online world. You see, as I was pondering where to write about for this week’s article, I happened to see a notification on Threads…
It’s no secret that I really, really, REALLY love the southern tip of Wakayama Prefecture’s Kii Peninsula. Home to a trinity of sacred shrines known as the Kumano Sanzan, this part of Japan is steeped in ancient history. Recently, I…
“The only way out is through…” — Jordan B. Peterson “Hold up, has it really already been almost a year?” I thought to myself as I looked down at the calendar, bewildered. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, it was…
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve likely heard about Japan’s ongoing struggles with overtourism. Spurred on by favorable exchange rates and an ever-growing popularity, Japan is being besieged by legions of international visitors. While these tourism yennies are…
Whelp… another 365 days have passed. It’s hard to believe that I am now already 38! Where the hell did the time go? Despite traveling 3–4 days out of every week, I’ve barely made a dent in my ever-growing bucket…
Disclaimer: This is not financial advice… — Donny Kimball It was the summer of 2021 and somehow Cheesie and I found ourselves down in Kamakura for the hydrangeas. At the time, I was just transitioning out of my role as…
For the past several years, I’ve always published some random musings on my birthday. Seeing as I am now, as of today, again an older man (37 years old if you’re wondering), I figured that I might as well continue…
Note: Due to the challenges of getting enough craftsmen onboard, this project is currently on the back burner. Once I can better solve the conundrum of shipping logistics, I will look to revisit Our Japan with a renewed vigor. For…
As of this writing, it’s the first week of 2022. That means that we’re quickly coming up on the two year mark since foreign tourists have been prohibited from entering Japan. Seeing as I am a writer who has the…
Today is November 21st, 2021. This date marks the end of the 35th year that I’ve been alive on this planet. In many senses, it’s been both one of the best and also most tumultuous years of my life. Around…
“Time is like a river that will take you forward into encounters with reality that will require you to make decisions. You can’t stop the movement down this river, you can’t avoid the encounters. You can only approach these encounters…
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a daikon (lit. “big root”). Known internationally among culinary circles in English as the daikon radish, this mild-flavored winter radish originally hails from China’s northern reaches. Though common to many Asian countries, the vegetable is…