In January I climbed Mount Kongo while there was still some snow on top. It would be my third time up. I enjoy climbing Mount Kongo and do so every …
The Museum of Eastern Ceramics
Japanese museums can be a bit hit and miss. There are some very good museums that present really good collections of artefacts or artworks. Even better if they have explanations …
A New Season
Friday was the first day of the season in Japan. Cerezo were playing Vissel Kobe in the showpiece Friday night TV fixture. I think the reason for this is that …
Koya-san
It is traditional in Japan to visit a shrine or temple to celebrate the New Year. The week of New Year I was stuck indoors with a bad cold but …
The Cakes of Japan
I got this top of Kongo-san a while back. It wasn’t so great after a hike up and a wander around in the snow on top it was quite nice. …
The Cakes of Japan
I bought this in the bakery attached to a supermarket near me. I can only describe it as a Cherry Harmonica. The pastry was glazed sweet puff pastry and was …
Chasing Out The Devil
Today was Setsubun: a Japanese festival were the devil or demons are chased out of the house. It is supposed to represent the start of spring (although the weather suggests …
The Cakes of Japan
I picked this up in Sakaihigashi station. There was a shop selling a variety of profiteroles with different fillings and such like. This was described as New York Cheesecake. The …
Himeji Castle
On the way back from Kurashiki I took the chance to stop off at Himeji to see the castle. it’s considered one of the best castles in Japan and it’s …
A Trip to Kurashiki
After Christmas I made a nice trip to Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture. I’m reliably informed that it is known as “Little Kyoto” and it’s easy to see why. After the …