Akihabara is overloaded with variety of food. On the right side of Yodobashi, there is a line of outdoor stalls that feature a wide variety of crepes, waffles, sandwiches, takoyaki and smoothies. Elsewhere, you can find a store belonging to the popular café chains: Pronto, Beck’s, Tully’s, Doutor, Mister Donut and Starbucks to name a few. There’s […]

An Akiba Moment Ah, Akihabara—the electronic mecca of Japan. Techies and otaku disembark from the Akihabara train station to find themselves in the middle of a heavenly ground. Whichever way you look, there is something to do with computers, maid cafes and anime. Even the local shrine, Kanda Myojin, has become a place of electronic-related […]

Adventures in Asakusa – By Valerie Taylor (Adventures in Asakusa – Part 1) An odd stroke of fate gave us identical misfortunes, even though I pulled 38 and he pulled 17. If you’re wondering how bad our omikuji were, an example of what was written on mine was things like: “Traveling and moving is a bad […]

Adventures in Asakusa By Valerie Taylor (Adventures in Asakusa – Part 2) In the past Asakusa was the land of Kabuki and other traditional forms of Japanese stage play. Nowadays, though these influences remain, Asakusa has become a remnant of old Japan. That is, it is one of those places that transports you to a past […]

Hiking Mount Tenranzan  Part 1 (Tenranzan – Part 2) The heart of Tokyo never sleeps. People are always bustling from one place to the next, cars are zooming along the roadways, and voices and music softly rumble from the ajar doors and windows of houses and shops. The constant stream of energy can be draining, especially if […]

Hiking Mount Tenranzan  Part 2 (Tenranzan – Part 1) When you reach the peak you’ll find yourself at an observatory platform that stands about 195 meters above sea level. A cool breeze welcomed me, as did a heavenly view of Hanno. Supposedly, on clearer days you can see Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City, Sky Tree and Mount Fuji […]