• Ponderings

    The Allure of a Japanese Spouse

    In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d write a post about love. Now, before you get too excited (or upset, even), I just want to say that I was inspired to blog about this upon seeing a specific visiting trend to my site. Can you guess what that trend is? Hint: It has to do with love and it has to do with Japanese people. Curious? Read on.

  • Food,  Travel

    Drinking in Japan

    I last blogged about the quick bites I’d get from Japanese convenience stores and vending machines. This time around, I’ll be sharing the drinks I purchased in Japan.

    The drinks offered in Japanese vending machines are truly something that American vending machines would be envious of. The selection is quite diverse and almost always has something you want to quench your thirst with. Perhaps these drinks are rather common to the average Japanese native, but to an American, any offering that goes beyond bottled water, sodas and the occasional OJ is a relief.

  • Ponderings,  Travel

    Why Japan isn’t ready for the Olympics

    Coronavirus aside, Japan isn’t ready for the Olympics. Sure, Japan has hosted the Olympics before but that was back in the 90’s. The 90’s were a time when people didn’t invest in traveling so much. It was also a time when barely anyone had the internet (super slow, btw) so they were limited in what they could learn about a country. They were restricted in learning about what they could do/see and needed to rely on travel agencies. Visiting Japan in those days, especially for the Olympics was truly for the privileged.

  • Travel

    Nittaiji Temple

    When I first visited Japan, I had Nittaiji Temple on my to-visit list. As Nittaiji isn’t a World Heritage site, you may find me strange for having this specific temple on my to-visit list. However, it’s really not all that strange. A place should never be visited just because it holds the title as a World Heritage site. A place should be visited simply because you hold interest in it or happen to stumble upon it. And I had an interest in Nittaiji. Unfortunately, I couldn’t cross Nittaiji Temple off from my to-visit list until after my first time in Japan was already over. Regardless, I made it happen in my second trip and that’s all that matters.

  • Travel

    Daibutsu aka The Great Buddha of Kamakura

    Since I was already in Kamakura, I figured it’d do me some good to at least visit the Great Buddha aka Daibutsu of Kotokuin Temple. After all, the Great Buddha was one of the things I had wanted to see in Kamakura. Unfortunately, Kotokuin Temple, like many other temples and shrines in Japan had an admission fee. While I understand how financially helpful it may be for places of worship to collect admission fees, I couldn’t help but to feel bitter about it.