Category Archives: Food & Drink

Why Is There A Landmark Dedicated To Tomato Ketchup In This Yokohama Town? (Plus Bonus Vegetable Monuments)

In 1859 Yokohama was the first port to open to international trade in Japan after 250+ years of isolation. It therefore became the birthplace of Japan’s modernisation as it gradually adopted cultural innovations and trends from overseas before spreading it … Continue reading

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Dining Out: One of Japan’s Shabbiest Vending Machine Restaurants

Fine dining is all good and well but it’s not really for me. I’ve experienced it a few times and of course the cuisine has been great but I’m well and truly out of my comfort zone, and somewhat struggle … Continue reading

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Alphabet Dating In Japan With My Wife Who Really Was Still Completely Unaware Of The Task At Hand! (S03E01: A-E)

  Seasons one and two (as well as the prequel season zero) of alphabet dating certainly pushed the boundaries of what a “date” is, and that continues in season three with even more tenuous examples for each letter of the … Continue reading

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Shizuoka Shenanigans: Spiders, Spicy Sustenance, Sizzling Steaks, Sacred Shrines, Strange Soda, Ships & Soccer

The latest trip to our holiday home in Shizuoka Prefecture was a little different as this time I took our little dog there by myself with my wife joining us later that evening. On an incredibly hot morning it was … Continue reading

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This Museum Is Dedicated To All Kinds Of Weird & Whacky Fizzy Drinks

One of the modern symbols of the hot and humid summer in Japan is a fairly popular  Japanese drink which is consumed by many at various festivals. The beverage in question  is called ramune (ラムネ) and there is a museum-of-sorts … Continue reading

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Little-Known Castles & Beaches, Awful Station Puns, Bad English, A Big Wooden Willy & Japan’s Cheapest Breakfast!

  As far as trips away go this one was for the maximum possible time available to me. As soon as I finished work on the last Saturday in June I headed straight down to Izu and then returned the … Continue reading

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Alphabet Dating In Japan With My Wife Who Was Still Completely Unaware Of The Task At Hand! (S02E06: Review)

  Season two of this dating challenge wrapped earlier this year in January after about 10 months of working our way through the alphabet. This series is one that probably looks quite fun and exciting from the outside but behind … Continue reading

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A Completely FREE Matchday Experience At The Stadium Which Hosted Football In The Tokyo Olympics

The matchday football experience in Japan (or anywhere else for that matter!) can be an expensive one. Not only is there the cost of the ticket but then transportation has to be considered, and then there is maybe some food, … Continue reading

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Alphabet Dating In Japan With My Wife Who Was Still Completely Unaware Of The Task At Hand! (S02E05 U-Z)

  Season one (as well as the prequel season zero) of alphabet dating certainly pushed the boundaries of what a “date” is, and that continues in season two with some very tenuous examples for each letter of the alphabet. For … Continue reading

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A Week of Golden Funtime With The Family In The Izu Sunshine

  The problem with holidays in Japan is that almost everyone (outside of the service industry) takes them at the same time whether it be Golden Week (late April/early May), O-bon (August) or New Year. Places get extremely busy and … Continue reading

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