Want to do something different in Japan? Today, I’m going to share a place I like a lot: Spocha. What is Spocha? It’s an amusement center that’s SO. FUN. Ok, I suppose that’s not much help to anyone lol. Well, Spocha is a place where you…
When we decided on going to Kurokawa Onsen, an onsen town located in Kumamoto, we were overwhelmed with the choices of ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) available. There were almost 30 ryokans, each one attractive in their own way. How were we to choose just one?!…
Although the cherry blossoms have long scattered in Tokyo, the cherry blossom is not over for me yet! There is one place I want to visit, and I’ve been keeping my eye on the sakura forecast. When the place I wanted to visit finally updated from “70% bloom”…
A Japanese friend recently was craving udon, and she brought us to Tsurutontan (which I thought was such a cute name and so fun to say!) which is apparently a famous place that serves up good udon. I was expecting the usual traditional udon shop, but was surprised that it…
I have always liked parks and gardens, and of the many I’ve visited in Tokyo, 六義園 Rikugien Gardens is my favorite. The garden is beautifully landscaped, and depending on the season, is painted with the different colors of the flowers in bloom. To me, it’s the…
After Fukuoka and Nagasaki, the final stop on our Kyushu trip was Kumamoto. Our trip to Kumamoto was one of extremities. We had the most indulgent, luxurious ryokan stay, where we basically just alternated between eating and soaking in onsens; we took 5 baths in less…
Sakura season is finally here! The cherry blossoms started blooming in Tokyo on March 21, and expected to peak about a week later. I write about sakura every year, but really, how can I resist? They’re so gorgeous! And the fact that they’re around for…