Riding On The World’s Longest Suspended Monorail System

Posted on June 12, 2023 by tokyofox

Upon learning last year that two of only seven suspended railways operating in the world were in Japan was something of a surprise, and I instantly had it in mind to visit both despite having ridden on them in the past. Back then though I just rode on them without any care or interest. I ticked off the Shōnan Monorail in Kanagawa Prefecture in August and then set my sights on a trip to Chiba for the other one.

However, I was then informed that there was a third one in Japan in the form of the Continue reading →

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Review: Films Set In Japan – John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Posted on June 9, 2023 by tokyofox

With mindless action and fighting scenes aplenty taking place in simple stories across multiple countries, one would think that the John Wick films would be right up my street. However, for some reason this seemingly appealing franchise just hasn’t imbedded itself in my heart and I do struggle to put a finger on why exactly that may be but try to explain I will.

Keanu Reeves is certainly not an actor I have anything against, and I like him in many roles but not this particular one. It’s no doubt an unpopular opinion given how loved this character is for many people. He was quite an intriguing character in the first one as we got to know him a bit. Actions speak louder than words with him maybe as he doesn’t say much and is too Continue reading →

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Football But Not As I Know It! My 1st Experience Of The American Game!

Posted on June 6, 2023 by tokyofox

It’s fair to say that many British people love to recorrect anyone who ever dares to say the word soccer in front of them. Other codes of football are of course prevalent in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland and America. What us Brits call American Football is simply just known as football in the USA.

It’s a sport I’ve never really had too much interest in. I know I had some Miami Dolphins playing cards as a kid, and maybe saw the Continue reading →

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Tokyo Daytripper: Lighthouses, Observation Towers, Beaches, Quaint Stations, Memories & A Fish Shrine At Chiba’s Most Easterly Point

Posted on June 3, 2023 by tokyofox

 

Seeing the first sunrise of the new year is a popular tradition for some Japanese people. As you might expect, some of the most common places to be in the very early hours of  January 1st are by the sea. Kasai Rinkai Park, Umi-Shibaura station, Jonanjima Seaside Park, Osanbashi (Yokohama), Miura Beach (Kanagawa) and Cape Inubō (Chiba) are all quite popular. They all take a bit of effort in terms of going to bed early on New Years Eve  ready to rise in the dark very early the next morning to get to the destination of choice ahead of the sun coming up at around 6:45 am.

Up until last year pretty much all I knew about the one in Chiba was that it was in Chōshi which is the most easterly point in the prefecture. I wasn’t in Tokyo on New Years Day and even if I had been there’s no way I’d bother with such a thing to be honest! However, a few days later I Continue reading →

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

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tokyofox

 

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 the prices of accomodation and flights can double or even triple!

Thankfully though we have a holiday home-of-sorts to visit in Shizuoka Prefecture when we want, and so in Golden Week we headed off to Izu for five nights. We actually could have gone for longer but this time decided to Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food & Drink, Japan Life, Japan Travel, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Modern Architecture Outside of Tokyo #1 – Hokkaido & Tōhoku

Posted on May 28, 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 1 which includes some weird and wonderful buildings in Hokkaido and the northern Tōhoku region.

1. King Continue reading →

Posted in Quirky Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

I Had A Golden Time At This Athletics Event In Yokohama

Posted on May 24, 2023 by tokyofox

 

Athletics in my home country of the UK was very much in its golden period when I was growing up in the 1980s, and it was popular on TV at a time when many different sports got fairly equal coverage. I would often watch it and many of the athletes were household names. Not only that but I’d also do many of the track and field events both in and out of school.

As we moved into the mid 90s though, and the sporting TV landscape began to change, I gradually saw less and less. Nowadays the only track and field action I see is Continue reading →

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The Goddess Statue Watching Over This Coastal Area

Posted on May 21, 2023 by tokyofox

Anyone who has ever taken a train to or past Ofuna in Kanagawa Prefecture will have proabably noticed the giant 25 metre-tall white goddess statue looming in the mountains just behind the station. It is not alone though as I spotted another one a few years back a further 42 kilometres south of Ofuna.

As someone who goes back and forth between Tokyo and Shizuoka about half a dozen  times every year I see this goddess statue quite often and always think I really should stop off and visit it……but never do! However, a fairly good opportunity to see it finally came Continue reading →

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TF Flashback: Time To Revisit Thailand To Travel Around Phuket, Bangkok & Ayutthaya (2008)

Posted on May 18, 2023 by tokyofox

This trip to Thailand really helped to reinvent my impression of a country I hadn’t given much of a chance on a brief trip to Bangkok en-route to Australia in 2001. On that occasion I just wanted to get to the latter so didn’t have any interest in Thailand and so looked on it quite negatively with my young and inexperienced travel eyes.

Regular snowboarding trips with my best American friend Ethan were a fairly regular occurrence around 2007 and 2008 but I’d never given much thought to travelling overseas together as I was just so used to doing that alone. However, when he expressed an interest in us going to Thailand together I was keen. By that time, I had become a much regular traveller having been to the likes of Continue reading →

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Jumping On The Baseball Bandwagon In Japan (& Then Jumping Right Off It Again!)

Posted on May 15, 2023 by tokyofox

If you live outside of Japan or the USA then you may not be aware that the former beat the latter back in March to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) thanks in particular to star player Shohei Otani who plies his trade stateside for the Los Angeles Angels. It is the biggest sport in Japan so baseball-fever was rife during the tournament.

Whilst I didn’t really watch any of it, I did quite enjoy the logistics of the tournament (countries involved, host cities, format etc) which meant I could get some enjoyment from talking about it with students. It must’ve got into my head in some way as within a week I had tickets to see not just one but Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments