 At the start of February I dragged my hands from under the kotatsu just long enough to click ‘buy’ on flights to Okinawa as a congratulations to myself for surviving my first Japanese January. I have just returned from said weekend bringing the sun with me (you’re welcome) and thought it only fair to…
It is hard to believe that in the great history of Japanese cinema only one film has ever won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was not one Kurosawa’s epic masterpieces like Ran or Seven Samurai, or other Japanese favorites like Tokyo Story or Tanpopo (the Academy Award for Best Foreign…
Break ups are evil. Whether it’s been a long-term thing or that bit shorter, but accompanied by high hopes, deciding that enough is enough, or worse, having someone decide that for you, is one of the least entertaining things you can do with another person. You may know, in your heart of hearts, that…
Once, a few years ago, another friend of the eco-friendly prerogative asked me which I would rather pay for, organic food or local food. My instant reaction was to say local. When comparing the carbon footprints of organic food that was transported from a far-off place to local food grown using non-natural fertilizers and insecticides,…
It’s April and that means the brief, but beautiful cherry blossom season. The sales of blue tarpaulins are set to sky rocket and public intoxication in the middle of the day will reach giddy new heights. Whether it’s your first, final or other, 花見 season in Japan, Hyogo has a positive cornucopia of great spots…
çµç¶æ¹– (ã³ã‚ã“; Lake Biwa) is Japan’s largest freshwater lake and covers a large part of Shiga Prefecture. It’s a haven for birdwatchers, watersports, camping, and generally having a good time outdoors. It’s also a very popular destination for cyclists with a well-kept cycle path pretty much all the way around. At around 220km in circumference,…
葛井寺 Fujii-dera is temple number 5 of 33 on the pilgrim circuit, and as its name “Wisteria Well Temple†would suggest, it is a wonderful place to visit when the fuji are in bloom. These fragrant purple flowers typically bloom in very late April or in early May, around Golden Week. Other than the gorgeous…
出ã—å·»ãåµ This omelet is delicious, easy to make and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Serves 4 as a side dish 6 eggs 1 cup dashi (stock made from fish and kelp, you can buy sachets of instant dashi) 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu) 1 tablespoon mirin salad oil…
April arrives and that means the new school year; new faces appearing in the staff room, students in slightly too big uniforms highlighting their status as newbies, and a new timetable to get your head around. Slowly but surely you realize that it really is time to put away the kotatsu blanket and that you’re…