Japan budget
Japan is expensive, that’s what you hear. Well, not that much, actually. Twenty years of deflation have left a mark in their price levels. As did the recent depreciation of the Yen against the Euro, losing 40% within a couple of months. If you have visited London, New York or San Francisco, you won’t find […] Read More
Tremendous Tokyo
Here’s my best-of-Japan, a mix of Tokyo and Osaka: Best part/scene/place: It is hard to decide, as Tokyo has so many different scenes, from the Hanami at the Meguro Kanal, to the bars of Shinjuku, to the Harajuku in the Park. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it in Tokyo. Best drink (alcoholic): Sake. What […] Read More
Back to Tokyo
I hopped onto the Shinkansen again this morning, speeding back the 894.2 km in around 4h45, which includes the little stop in Osaka. It’s an amazing technology, and such a smooth ride. Time flies. The tracks run through what is I guess the most populated areas of Japan, honestly it seems like one big continuous […] Read More
Shitennō-ji flea market
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
Osaka night life
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
Temple overload
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
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
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
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
