60 Hours In Niigata: Natures Window, Dystopian & Scenic Stations, A Dinosaur Building, A World Cup Stadium, Platform Zeros & Cheap Alcohol Vending Machines

Posted on September 24, 2023 by tokyofox

 

Each year I try and get away by myself for a mini break but as the years go by the time away seems to get less and less. 12 months ago I decided to head up to Niigata for a long weekend as I had never been to that prefecture before. The idea was to see a few places of interest but inevitably as the trip got closer more and more stuff was added to my itinerary meaning that it would be three very packed and busy days. You’ve gotta make the most of such limited time though!

Day 1 – Things got off to a bad start at 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)

Posted on September 21, 2023 by tokyofox

 

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 alphabet. For the record, doing something together (no matter what it is!) counts as a date in this series which is not always about visiting glamorous places and doing exciting things but just getting out there and exploring locations we wouldn’t normally go to. Without further ado, lets kick off the final season of alphabet dating with what we did for the first set of letters…

A is for Continue reading →

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We Watched Japan Play An International Rugby Match Last Weekend!

Posted on September 18, 2023 by tokyofox

When I told my wife I had got tickets to see Japan play a rugby match in Tokyo she thought it was for a World Cup match even though that is taking place nearly 10,000 kilometres (about 6200 miles) away in France. Maybe she just thinks the Rugby World Cup is always in Japan!

The tickets were actually to see Japan’s Continue reading →

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TF Flashback: Travelling To A Trio Of Top Places In The Lovely & Often Overlooked Laos (2008)

Posted on September 14, 2023 by tokyofox

 

It may live very much in the shadow of its more famous neighbours but Laos is a country that should not be ignored or just added on to South-East Asian itinerary in the name of ticking off another country. Whilst it may not have the big famous sights offered in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, it still has its own charm and interesting places away from the tourist crowds of those places. 15 years ago I met up with my friends Richard and Mizuki in Laos and we travelled to three of the country’s most famous destinations…

Vientiane – Having been met at the capital city’s airport (once I’d coughed up Continue reading →

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

Posted on September 11, 2023 by tokyofox

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 far from a relaxing journey for me as I needed to continuously fan him to keep him cool and stop his panting.

Still, he was very well behaved (no barking etc) and got a fair amount of Continue reading →

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Hockey! Hockey! Hockey! Oi Oi Oi! Finally Watching Live Hockey In Tokyo After My Tokyo 2020 Setback

Posted on September 8, 2023 by tokyofox

One of the sports I had tickets for in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was field hockey but of course Covid_19 put paid to my plans to watch that. I can’t say that I had a real itch to see a live hockey match in the aftermath of the Olympic games but that changed this year as I became more and more interested in experiencing sports I’d never seen live before.

Whilst googling just about every Olympic sport a few months ago I came across this Somo Japan Cup tournament involving the Japanese men’s and women’s national Continue reading →

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Interesting Japanese Playground Structures #41 – Squid Park

Posted on September 5, 2023 by tokyofox

Many of the parks and children’s playgrounds in Japan, particularly in Tokyo, are quite poor compared to other countries in terms of space, surroundings and a lack of grass. However, a handful of them do tend to possess extremely creative structures and they will be explored in this series.

Nickname: Squid Park

Location: Mizukubo Continue reading →

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The Force Was Strong At This Traditional Japanese Summer Festival In Central Tokyo

Posted on September 2, 2023 by tokyofox

The hot and humid summer months in Tokyo bring about a series of outdoor festivals and events which are very much a part of Japanese culture. It’s kind of sad to say but these festivals are never too appealing for me as it’s just too hot and they are just too crowded for my liking. I occasionally make rare exceptions like I did for the tanabata star festival at Zojoji Temple back in July but such events just aren’t for me. However, as soon as I heard Continue reading →

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Living In A Dreamworld: One of Japan’s Best Football Settings, Crazy Flavoured Fizzy Drinks & A Ship Museum! (I Said Ship!!)

Posted on August 30, 2023 by tokyofox

With views on a clear day of Suruga Bay, the Pacific Ocean and Mount Fuji, Shimizu in Shizuoka Prefecture is always an appealing place to visit. My previous visit two years prior to this one was a bit of a dreary, wet experience but this time the conditions were very sunny with clear blue skies thus making the setting Continue reading →

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Modern Architecture Outside of Tokyo #4 – Kanagawa & Yamanashi

Posted on August 26, 2023 by tokyofox

 

For over a decade Tokyo Fox has focused on the modern architecture of Tokyo with a long-running ten part series featuring over 100 interesting-looking buildings. During that time I have also taken photos of some unique structures outside of the capital city but had no place to showcase them until now. This is Volume 4 which includes some weird and wonderful buildings in Kanagawa and Yamanashi.

5. Kawaramachi Continue reading →

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