Over the years I’ve visited many really interesting and quirky buddha statues in Japan of varying sizes and materials but arguably the most impressive and famous one is in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Kamakura was a slight detour en-route to Izu as I wanted to get some Continue reading
Whilst there are many great places off-shore on the Izu Peninsula, it is naturally the coastline which takes the glory when it comes to the most popular destinations.
The Izu Kyūkō Line runs down the east coast and I try to venture further south every time my wife I visit her parents in this part of Shizuoka Prefecture. It`s not always possible due to family commitments but on our last visit in September I managed to get out one afternoon early on in the trip. I took the train down to Continue reading
The fairly uninspiring title of this action, crime adventure sadly meant that I didn`t really take too much notice of this slick and stylish revenge assassin film when scrolling through the Netflix content.
Thankfully someone aware of my interest in movies set in Japan let me know about it and so I watched the 106 minute thriller back in September a week or two after it appeared on the video-on-demand subscription service.
It stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the title-character who shows from the offset that she is meticulously skilled as a deadly assassin as well as a fine martial artist. She is at the height of her game but then Continue reading
Whenever I come across new and interesting places on the internet or in person I enter them into ‘Want to go’ on Google Maps. Over time I often forget all about them and then when I’m in that area it’s nice to see the green flag icons. Sometimes though I can’t for the life of me remember why a place was recommended or entered, and this was one such example! As much as I love eating sushi, I can’t say I’ve ever been too interested in a museum on it so I can only guess it was highly recommended.
Shimizu Sushi Museum can be found on the second floor of S-Pulse Dream Plaza and was my first stop of the day. It’s located at the back of a Continue reading
The vast majority of buildings in Japan are actually very dull and nondescript but that means that some of the more-intriguing, modern architectural structures really stand out. This place, located in a very quiet part of Shizuoka Prefecture, is one such case.
18 kilometres south of Atami is a station bypassed by the majority of tourists heading further south to enjoy Continue reading
Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture is a famed hot-spot for onsen (hot spring baths) and every time I`ve been to the area I`ve been asked by students if I had a hot spring bath. More times than not the answer is a flat no and I almost feel guilty for not meeting their expectations. However, on our trip to Izu in September I set out on a mission to see Continue reading
The J-League match day experience in the Covid_19 era just hasn’t been the same for me. Although fans were allowed back once football returned in July last year, there were a new set of measures and protocols such as temperature checks on the way in, readily available hand sanitizer, compulsory masks, socially distanced seating, no singing or chanting, no flags, no alcohol…and seemingly not too much fun!
Despite all that I can’t help but continue to look at upcoming games before usually coming to my senses and telling myself I have to be patient in my return to football stadia and wait for normal service to be resumed. This time though I had Continue reading
October 21st is an important date for Back To The Future fans as it was the date that Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travelled to the past and set in motion a whole host of other events across various timelines. The biggest celebrations were six years ago which was when Doc Brown, Marty and Jennifer travelled to the future which then became the present in 2015. That`s now in the past and there have been some subsequent events to mark it. This year a toy shop in Shibuya-ku has become something of a shrine to the ever-popular time travelling sci-fi trilogy.
It seems like this year may also be the Continue reading
Gunma is the prefecture I have enjoyed exploring the most in recent years. I still haven`t been to it`s most famous sight (Kusatsu Onsen) but have enjoyed looking around lesser attractions in the area. Back in late July I headed up to Takasaki for the second time this year.
The original plan on my arrival at 10:15 am was to take the train to Gumma Yawata to see a Daruma Temple before walking on to see a big white kannon statue. However, I Continue reading
#16. Suginami
Cycling may be something that I love to do but I’m not really one who goes for a ride without some kind of aim whether it be to a restaurant, a sight or just my workplace. With that in mind, and desperate to get out on my new bike, I decided to cycle round ALL the Inari Shrines in Tokyo taking each of the 23 wards one at a time.
Inspired by recent interest in tiny shrines, this idea seemed like a good way of Continue reading
Tokyo Fox (東京狐) 