Okonomiyaki

Let it go
Ok, I hereby officially declare this blog a food and temple blog. Now that this is out of the way, here’s the latest culinary discovery: Okonomiyaki. I had already seen them being prepared at the late night hanami in Osaka, but they were all made with meat – I asked. It turns out, they are […] Read More

Miyajima Island

Let it go
After the sad first day in Hiroshima, I needed something uplifting. A trip to nearby Miyajima Island, best known for its floating torii gate at the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine. The torii is the traditional Japanese gate usually found at the entrance of a Shinto shrine This one is special though, and it might easily be one of the most […] Read More

Kyoto (again)

Let it go
I went back to Kyoto today, to see more of the Kyotographie exhibitions, especially the photographic exploration of Mars, as well as some interesting images of Japanese landscapes and homes, called ‘Where we belong‘.   However, it was a bright sunny day with blue skies, so I went to see one more temple, Kinkaku-ji, the Golden […] Read More

Shitennō-ji flea market

Let it go
I wanted to go to a flea market. And ended up in a temple. The Shitennō-ji Buddhist temple, the first Buddhist temple in Japan, dating from the 6th century (albeit rebuilt), holds a flea market and produce market on the 21st and 22nd of each month. I love flea markets and it wasn’t far, so off […] Read More

Kyoto, with a difference

Let it go
Honestly, after seeing temples and shrines in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nara, I wasn’t that keen on seeing Kyoto anymore. Call it temple fatigue. If JR had announced a major breakdown of their lines and I could not have gone, I wouldn’t have fussed about it…. But I went, nonetheless, and I have spent a whole […] Read More

Osaka night life

Let it go
I spent a bit time roaming around Osaka at night over the weekend, through the shopping arcades, the restaurants and the bars… Minami is one of the main areas to go out, and is crawling with people. I walked through what felt like the longest shopping arcade in the world, in between countless stores. You can […] Read More

Slowing down in Osaka

Let it go
I need to slow down. Seriously. Who thinks after six months and three weeks I’m relaxed as can be should ask my feet. Or my back and shoulders. I need a massage… I am mostly so tired right after breakfast I want to crawl back to bed…. I’ve been traveling too much and doing too […] Read More

Temple overload

Let it go
The old (and first) capital of Japan, Nara, is only 50 minutes away on a JR line that I can ride free with my rail pass, so it’s ideal for a day trip. I arrived around 11 and walked up to the main park, following the tracks of my Lonely Planet guide, with so many […] Read More

Lost in (no)translation

Let it go
I make slow progress in saying more than three words in Japanese…. Basically I can say arigato, arigato gozaimasu (the more polite form – I just discovered there is actually a ‘u’ at the end) and konichiwa. It probably won’t go much further than that. I want to include please, till the end of the […] Read More

Osaka Castle

Let it go
Osaka’s castle is right around the corner, so it was an easy first target. The castle grounds are massive, several huge moats, immense defense walls, a huge garden… and in the middle this gem of a castle. It played a major role in Japanese history, notably in uniting the island, and in the fierce fight […] Read More

Late night Hanami

Let it go
I was a bit tired on the first night, and actually just wanted to cross the river to have a look at the castle, in preparation for the visit tomorrow. But then, right on the river bank, I saw a few stands, and people, and then more stands, and many many more people… Another Hanami […] Read More