Trip to Singapore – Part 1

This is a multi-part blog post about our short 4 day trip this summer to Singapore from August 10-13, 2009.
Singapore is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying 137 kilometers (85 miles) north of the equator.  At 710.2 km2 (274.2 sq mi), Singapore is the smallest nation in Southeast [...]

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Mitama Matsuri

The Mitama Matsuri (also known as the Soul Festival) was held at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo from July 13-16, 2008.

This festival is famous for its thousands of lighted lanterns.

A very large festival, it attracts a big crowd every year.

Mikoshis (portable shrines) were enthusiastically carried by the local towns people in colorful [...]

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Hanami

One of the most popular activities during cherry blossom (sakura) season in Japan is hanami (flower viewing), the Japanese tradition of gathering under cherry blossoms to eat, drink, view and be merry – an outdoor drinking party or picnic during the daytime or at night.
As you can imagine, the best spots for hanami are very [...]

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Nikko Part 1 – Travel and Hotel

During this past Valentine’s weekend, we visited the town of Nikko, about 140 km north of Tokyo.  Located about 200 to 2,000 meters (for the surrounding mountainous regions) above sea level, Nikko is a popular destination for Japanese and tourists alike – it is very crowded during weekends, but especially during the cherry blossoms (spring), [...]

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Trip to Hong Kong and Macau

We spent our past Christmas holiday in Hong Kong and Macau.  The last time we visited Hong Kong was 20 years ago, and it has certainly changed – for the better.  Although it is still busy and crowded, we found it cleaner, more efficient and offered much better customer service (and tipping is now optional).
Hong [...]

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Japan in The News: Tokyo tops Michelin Restaurant Guide

Paris is well known for its high culinary restaurants. 
A total of 173 restaurants in Tokyo earned a least a single star in the latest edition of Michelin Guide, a famous guidebook that rates restaurants around the world.  Nine restaurants were graded with three stars which equals that of reigning champion Paris.  Tokyo boasts the [...]

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Shinagawa Syukuba Festival

Held last weekend this year, the Syukuba festival is held annually in the late summer in Shinagawa, Tokyo.  The highlight of this festival is a 600 strong parade of marching bands, cheerleaders, clowns, and locals dressed in Edo-era costumes.
 
 

As with any festival in Japan, there were lots [...]

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Roppongi Hills Summer Events

During the summer at Roppongi Hills in the heart of Tokyo, Japan, a variety of events were held at the Roppongi Hills Arena near the TV Asahi building.  The events featured live performances, sporting events, exhibits, food and drinks.
The biggest event was the 5th year anniversary of Roppongi Hills and one of the feature performances [...]

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Japan in the News: Happy 113th birthday for world’s oldest man

TOKYO (Reuters) – The world’s oldest man celebrated his 113th birthday on Thursday, telling reporters at his home in southern Japan about his joyful life and healthy appetite.
“I’m happy,” said Tomoji Tanabe as the local mayor presented him with flowers and a giant tea cup glazed with his name and date of birth. “I’m [...]

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Omikoshi Togyo Autumn Festival

The Omikoshi Togyo Autumn Festival (matsuri) is one of the biggest events in Kichijoji, about 30 minutes by subway from Tokyo. The main event is a parade of portable shrines called mikoshi carried along the streets of the town to the Musashino Hachimangu Shrine.  This year’s festival as held on the weekend of September 13-14, [...]

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