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Japan 2014: Hiraizumi

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Has it really been almost 5 months since I woke up in Naruko Onsen after two peaceful nights and set off on the next part of my adventure? Time flies, doesn’t it? I really must get a wriggle on and finish sharing all these stories! So, it was 29th May and, after a delicious breakfast … Continue reading

Word of the Week: 指切りする

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last time we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘ya’ (や), focussing on やだ (yada), which means ‘I don’t like it’. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘yu’ (ゆ). A big thank you for the suggestions I received this week (it was a tough … Continue reading

Japan 2014: Tono Monogatari

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After reading The Legends of Tono by Kunio Yanagita and Tales from a Mountain Cave by Hisashi Inoue I knew I simply had to visit Tono (遠野) in Iwate Prefecture. So, on Friday 30th May I continued my Tohoku adventure and headed towards Tono. After quite a bit of hanging around due to local line trains … Continue reading

One Week Until the HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market!

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This time next week I’ll be getting my geek on at the HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market! The event will take place at Olympia in London from Friday 14th November – Sunday 16th November. Here’s some more information about the event… HYPER JAPAN is back for the festive season to deliver another instalment of crazy, cute … Continue reading

Japan 2014: My Tale of Tono

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昔々あるところに Mukashi mukashi, aru tokoro ni… Once upon a time, in a certain place… I woke up in a land full of fairytales – Tono (遠野) in Iwate Prefecture. My guide, Matsumoto-san, came to pick me up from my hotel around 10:30am, and she brought with her a fantastic taxi driver, Suzuki-san, who was tasked with … Continue reading

Word of the Week: よろしくお願いします

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last time we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘yu’ (ゆ), focussing on 指切りする / ゆびきりする (yubikiri suru), which is like a ‘pinkie swear’. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘yo’ (よ). A big thank you for the suggestions I received this week: Japan … Continue reading

Japan 2014: A Fire Festival at Kamaishi Daikannon

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On Sunday 1st June I made an early start from Tono and headed along the Kamaishi Line on a little train that only runs every two hours to a fishing and industrial town called Kamaishi (釜石). Kamaishi hadn’t been on my original list of places to visit in Tohoku, but as I was planning my … Continue reading

HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market 2014

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Last weekend saw an explosion of J-culture in London at the HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market 2014. Smaller than the event in the summer, but still just as fun, the Christmas Market’s main focus was on shopping. Olympia in London was packed with stalls on both levels, selling everything from adorable squishy things to kawaii fashion, delicious … Continue reading

Word of the Week: リア充

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last time we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘yo’ (よ), focussing on よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu), which is a uniquely Japanese phrase that is quite hard to translate. Often it is translated as ‘please be kind to me (as I will be to you)’, but there’s more to it … Continue reading

Monthly Recipe: Mushroom & Bamboo Shoot Rice Bento with Japanese Pickles

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This month I was inspired to make something new after being offered a pickle press. Pickling is not something I’ve ever really considered doing, but when the lovely people at Kitchen Provisions got in touch and suggested I might like to try out their pickle press, how could I refuse? They also sent me a … Continue reading

Autumn in Kyoto Garden

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Last weekend in amongst all the craziness of HYPER JAPAN I decided to take a few moments of peace for myself and visit Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. Despite having lived in London for a number of years, I had never made it to Holland Park, so this was my first time to visit the … Continue reading

Word of the Week: ルンルン

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last time we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘ri’ (り), focussing on リア充 (riaju), which means something like ‘real lifer'; one who has a satisfying and full real life, as opposed to their online life. This week, I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘ru’ (る). A … Continue reading

Word of the Week: レベルアップする

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last time we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘ru’ (る), focussing on  ルンルン (runrun), which means ‘happy’ or ‘bouncy’. This week, I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘re’ (れ). A big thank you for the suggestions I received this week: Kei suggested ‘reberu appu suru’ (レベルアップする), … Continue reading

Word of the Week: 六根清浄

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last time we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘re’ (れ), focussing on  レベルアップする (reberu appu suru), which means ‘to level up’ or to improve one’s skills. This week, I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘ro’ (ろ). A big thank you for the suggestions I received … Continue reading

Japan 2014: Kamaishi

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I know, I know… I really need to get these posts finished! I’m not quite sure where the year has gone, but back in June I was exploring Kamaishi (釜石) in Iwate Prefecture (岩手県) and now it’s about time I told you about it. Kamaishi was not a place I had heard of until 2011, … Continue reading

Word of the Week: 和洋折衷

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It’s time for Word of the Week again, and this is the last post of the series! Last time we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘ro’ (ろ), focussing on  六根清浄 / ろっこんしょうじょう (rokkon shojo), which is the ‘purification of the six roots of perception’ in Buddhism. This week, I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with … Continue reading

A Heap of Hello Kitty!

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It was my birthday yesterday and my mum, who clearly knows me well, decided to bestow upon me a whole heap of Hello Kitty! I got a Hello Kitty apron, chef’s hat, oven gloves, tea towels, cookies and cookie tin, mug with hot chocolate and a hand warmer! Everything’s so pink – seeing these cute … Continue reading

Weekly Photo Challenge: Yellow

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This week’s Weekly Photo Challenge is on the theme of ‘yellow’, and yesterday I just happened to pick up a brand new sunshiny addition to my kokeshi (こけし) doll family: ‘Yellow’ is making me think about this beautiful piece of craft right now. She’s my first yellow traditional kokeshi doll – most of my other … Continue reading

Monthly Recipe: Deco Roll Cakes

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My office has a tradition of bringing in a cake to share on your birthday, so this year I decided to try something new for my birthday cake. I’ve been fascinated by deco roll (Japanese decorated roll cakes or Swiss rolls) for ages now, but I thought it would be beyond my ability to make … Continue reading

Japan 2014: A Journey from Kamaishi to Sendai

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With still a week left in Japan, on 2nd June I set out on one of my most complicated journeys. One thing I had been determined to do when I had begun planning my trip around Tohoku was to travel down the Sanriku Coast – the coast hit by the tsunami in 2011. It’s hard … Continue reading
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