My foray into Tokyo fashion has opened up the kimono for more street style photography – but this time for geisha style. Kyoto’s Gion district is world famous for their geisha (often referred to as geiko in Kyoto). Comprised of alleyways of traditional wooden townhouses, tea houses, restaurants, and bars, it is a place where […]Read Post ›
Just a short walk away from our ryokan in the Arashiyama district of Kyoto, the famed Sagano Bamboo Forest was definitely a highlight of our trip. It is here that one can find a sense of serenity, giving new meaning to the saying, “Find your happy place.” The natural beauty of the bamboo brings about […]Read Post ›
When in Kyoto, one must ryokan. After our village experience in the mountains, Simon and I decided to do a 180 and clean up our act with some much needed pampering at a ryokan. A must do R&R on any traveller’s bucket list in Kyoto, a ryokan is a traditional style inn with sliding doors […]Read Post ›
Wonder no longer, Simon and I were going to be village people in a gassho style house. Kyoko, the host of the gassho hostel, was an energetic and spirited woman whose mannerisms were as animated as an animae character. After laying down the ground rules of the house (open the door like a geisha, walk lightly […]Read Post ›
I stood in the middle of the suspension bridge alone, enjoying my moment of peace and serenity early in the morning. Closing my eyes, I felt the subltle warmth on my back from the sun that had just barely peered out from behind the rain clouds. The sound of the rumbling Shokawa River enveloped me, […]Read Post ›
The only attraction in Nara bigger the giant Buddha are the deer. Once the capital of Japan, Nara continues to be a popular place visited by international tourists and locals alike. It has several UNESCO World Heritage sites, and is home to a huge deer population. UNESCO World Heritage sites I am familiar with, and […]Read Post ›
The biggest question we regularly face as travellers is, what are we gonna eat today? Our hostel in Osaka was in close proximity to popular streets and alleyways of many eateries, so going hungry was never an option. Yet the plethora of restaurants also caused us to be paralyzed by the paradox of choice. One […]Read Post ›
We arrived in Osaka on a cold rainy afternoon. The wet weather conditions drenched our clothes and even our spirits that day, but for other tourists? Not so! Even gloomy grey skies couldn’t chase the dozen or so tour busses away. Luckily Simon and I were able to stroll the popular Dotonbori Street the next […]Read Post ›
Although we planned most of our day’s activities and routes before we left the hotel, navigating the streets of Tokyo was not as intuitive as I thought it would be. The blocks aren’t organized the way they are in the States. Without Google Maps, and as hopelessly bad at directions as we both are, imagine […]Read Post ›
Simply put, cherry blossoms are awesome. Sakura, or cherry blossoms, are in full bloom all over Japan. Also popular at this time are sakura flavored liqueur, sakura mochi, and sakura flavored everything under the land of the rising sun. On our second day in Tokyo, we hit up Ueno Park, which is a popular place […]Read Post ›
