Tea is almost as synonymous with Japanese culture as kimono, bamboo, and ninjas. Green tea, in particular, is served at all times – with meals or without. I learned quickly that my Western Belly was not accustomed to green tea after, deciding that I liked it, downed two cups worth and within five minutes had […]
Tree-top Ninjas
As always when planning a trip there are a few sites you really look forward to seeing. Then, as you research, you inevitably add more and more to that list. Kiyomizudera Temple caught our eye after reading that it was a temple for tree-top ninjas. This temple was perched high above the city of Kyoto […]
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Taking full advantage of our jet lag we were up and at our first site in Kyoto with the sunrise. The god Inari – the god of rice and wealth – has been worshipped here since the late 900’s. The thousands of orange torii – the reason Adam and I came to visit – are […]
Culture as Commodity
Kyoto is probably best known, in the minds of tourists at least, as the haven for Geisha – that mysterious, unknown, misunderstood part of Japanese history and culture. That Kyoto was also the first capital of Japan is a second known fact, glazed over in the guide books by the search for where to catch […]
Tokyo John
I don’t think it will be fair to continue to write about our trip to Japan without dedicating at least ONE post to those bare necessities of life. In other words – this post is about to go down the toilet. The association of Tokyo and electronics is an easy one to make. With all […]