Press Release: HYPER JAPAN 2014

April 21, 2014, 9:59 am

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The UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine, entertainment and technology returns this year with an even greater selection of exhibitors, workshops, guests, performers and much more, in what will be the 6th HYPER JAPAN! A dynamic blend of traditional and modern Japanese culture, HYPER JAPAN offers something for everyone, whether you want to discover … Continue reading →

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Three years in the UK… and finally back to Japan!

April 21, 2014, 10:30 pm

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April 22nd 2011 – the last time I was in Japan. “日本、またね！I’ll be back as soon as I can…”, I wrote. It’s been a long three years, I’ll tell you! Three years of being back in the UK, adjusting to life here again, wondering if I made the right decision to come back… wondering if … Continue reading →

Word of the Week: 食べ放題

April 26, 2014, 1:43 pm

≫ Next: Word of the Week: ちくしょう！

≪ Previous: Three years in the UK… and finally back to Japan!

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last week we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘so’ (そ), and focussed on the word 染める (someru), which means ‘to dye’. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘ta’ (た). Unfortunately no one joined in with any suggestions this week, which was a … Continue reading →

Word of the Week: ちくしょう！

May 4, 2014, 1:54 pm

≫ Next: Postcard from Japan: Two Towers

≪ Previous: Word of the Week: 食べ放題

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last week we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘ta’ (た), and focussed on the expression 食べ放題 (tabehoudai), which means ‘all-you-can-eat’. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘chi’ (ち). A big thank you to everyone who joined in with their suggestions … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Two Towers

May 11, 2014, 6:15 am

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≪ Previous: Word of the Week: ちくしょう！

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ただいま！ I’m back in Japan! I landed this morning earlier than scheduled (just after 8:30am) and was wandering around a temple and eating matcha ice cream before I knew it! It’s SO good to be back. I’m not going to have time to blog about everything I’m doing as I go – I’ll be busy … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Name That Buddha

May 12, 2014, 7:19 am

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For those of you that don’t know, I love bug Buddhas. It’s hard to explain, but there’s something very calming about their faces. Can you identify this one…? Hint: it’s not the Great Buddha of Kamakura. It’s even greater!   This is the Ushiku Daibustu. It was quite a trek to get there, but totally … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Hungry?

May 13, 2014, 6:39 am

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Apart from chocolate and the odd banana, everything I’ve eaten so far in Japan has been Japanese food, and I’m loving it! Here’s a tiny selection of what I’ve sampled so far…

Postcard from Japan: Rilakkuma Ema

May 14, 2014, 2:08 am

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At Zenkoji (a temple in Nagano) today I spotted these Rilakkuma (リラックマ) ‘ema‘ (絵馬) boards with people’s prayers and wishes on them. Cute.

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Postcard from Japan: Monkey Magic

May 15, 2014, 5:41 am

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I’ve been in Japan less than five full days and have already taken around 1,400 photos. Oops. I really couldn’t help myself when we visited the Jigokudani snow monkey park in Yudanaka Onsen today though. These Japanese macaques are just too damn cute.

Postcard from Japan: Koinobori

May 16, 2014, 6:07 am

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≪ Previous: Postcard from Japan: Monkey Magic

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These koinobori (鯉幟), or ‘carp streamers’, looked beautiful swimming up stream in Takayama today.

Postcard from Japan: Tohoku Rokkonsai (東北六魂祭)

May 25, 2014, 4:09 am

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≪ Previous: Postcard from Japan: Koinobori

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Sorry I haven’t posted as many ‘postcards’ as I had hoped to – things have been rather hectic! However, I’m on holiday in Tohoku now, currently in Yamagata, and hoping to slow the pace down a little. I’ve been planning this trip to Tohoku for the last three years, ever since the disaster in 2011, … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Following in Basho’s footsteps

May 26, 2014, 7:17 pm

≫ Next: Postcard from Japan: Kokeshi

≪ Previous: Postcard from Japan: Tohoku Rokkonsai (東北六魂祭)

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Yesterday I finally made it to the ‘mountain temple’ – Yamadera. The 1000 or so steps to the top were a bit of a killer, and I’m feeling it in my legs today, but boy was it worth it! It was incredible to tread the path that haiku poet Basho once trod…

Postcard from Japan: Kokeshi

May 27, 2014, 5:35 am

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こけしのこころは見る人の心をうつすこころです “Kokeshi no kokoro wa miru hito no kokoro o utsusu kokoro desu” “The kokeshi’s heart is the heart that reflects the mind of the beholder” (or something like that!)

Postcard from Japan: Oku no Hosomichi (おくのほそ道)

May 28, 2014, 5:13 am

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Today I continued following in haiku poet Basho’s footsteps and visited parts of the ‘Oku no hosomichi‘ (おくのほそ道), or ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’. One day I would love to come back and walk as much of the trail as is possible, but I think that would take a lot of careful planning! … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Pure Land

May 29, 2014, 6:20 am

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≪ Previous: Postcard from Japan: Oku no Hosomichi (おくのほそ道)

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I visited the World Heritage Site Hiraizumi today – here’s a picture of the garden at Motsuji: The weather decided to turn a little when I got there, but it was still beautiful.

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Postcard from Japan: Untouched Tohoku

May 30, 2014, 5:44 am

≫ Next: Postcard from Japan: Tono Monogatari

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Today I travelled by train from Hiraizumi to Hanamaki, and then to Tono, first taking the JR Tohoku Line, and then the JR Kamaishi Line. I had rather a long time to wait either at Hiraizumi or Hanamaki and, having already spent enough time in Hiraizumi I opted for Hanamaki. It was a pretty small … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Tono Monogatari

June 1, 2014, 4:20 am

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Yesterday I forgot to post something, so I’m going to give you some bonus extras today! Here are a couple of images from yesterday’s adventures in Tono, home of the mythical ‘kappa’ and many other folktales…      

Postcard from Japan: Kamaishi Dai-Kannon & Shishi Odori

June 1, 2014, 4:44 am

≫ Next: Postcard from Japan: Tsunami

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Yes, I’m being super generous tonight and giving you some extra photos to look at! Well, seeing as I hit the 6,000 mark today, the least I can do is share a little. ;) Today I arrived in Kamaishi (釜石) (Iwate Prefecture) on the Sanriku Coast. Kamaishi is not really a tourist spot, but the … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Tsunami

June 1, 2014, 5:12 am

≫ Next: Postcard from Japan: Kiseki-no-Ippon-Matsu

≪ Previous: Postcard from Japan: Kamaishi Dai-Kannon & Shishi Odori

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One more post for tonight. It would be impossible to travel around Tohoku and not think about the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. However, until I reached the coast today I had seen no evidence of damage, and everything seemed to be business as usual. Kamaishi was badly hit by the tsunami, and this … Continue reading →

Postcard from Japan: Kiseki-no-Ippon-Matsu

June 2, 2014, 6:32 am

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I’ve seen so much today. Whilst travelling down the Sanriku coast I’ve seen things my eyes could hardly believe. Huge spaces where there should have been towns. I also went to visit the ‘Kiseki-no-ippon-matsu’ or ‘Miracle Pine’ in Rikuzentakata. It was pretty moving, especially with the wrecked building that has been left beside it. This … Continue reading →