Tagged: japan
fuji-san, mt fuji in japan
if you are in japan for a while, as i was, you have to climb mt fuji [3,776 m, 12,388 ft] – the window is from july through end august for optimal weather conditions. Continue reading
daiso – cheap cool japanese products in dubai
this is probably one of dubai’s best kept secrets – a store of exclusively japanese bargain products for your home, some food and stationary. Continue reading
onsen in the snow – hot and cold
for a truly amazing experience, head to the tsurunoyu onsen (hot springs) in akita, japan, around january or february, to ensure that there is a lot of snow. request that you stay in the old part of the guest house – a detached 300 year old uninsulated wooden structure Continue reading
flea market – kyoto. tokyo.
one of my favorite spots in kyoto is the flea market held at to-ji temple, “koubou-ichi“, Continue reading
more fireworks…july in tokyo
now that we have all just experienced fireworks last night in our respective locations worldwide, i am reminded of the annual summer fireworks competition event held on the last saturday of july on the sumida river in tokyo. it is a tradition that dates back Continue reading
happy new year – make a wish!
wishing you all the best for a happy new year. 2008 promises to be a lucky year – afterall it contains the number 8 for luck in chinese culture, and for those of us “rats” in the chinese zodiac, it is also year of the rat. i did a bit of math – this auspicious combination of 8 appearing in the calendar year coinciding with year of the rat will not recur in our lifetime, so make the best of this year. but whatever your belief, make this year a great one. buy a daruma doll (pictured above), and in the tradition of japan, make a wish and fill one eye, and when it comes true fill in the other eye and burn the doll….
H A P P Y N E W Y E A R
the shinkansen, more than a train ride
if you’re thinking of going to japan, do not leave home without a japanrail (jr) pass. passes come in 7, 14 and 21 day versions, and provide the holder with unlimited rail travel on the entire japan rail network. passes are only available outside of japan, Continue reading
tonki for the best tonkatsu
a must stop on my annual pilgrimage to tokyo – a city that i could claim twice as my home – is a favorite eatery called tonki. i have been going there since 2000. Continue reading
kyoto temples in winter
singapore airlines could not confirm my return seat from perth where I had planned to spend new year’s with friends sailing in the ocean. so i find myself in dubai for new year’s reflecting on some of the more interesting winter destinations i have been to Continue reading
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