Maybe it’s just that it’s so well organized. The trains run on time, it’s denizens follow rules, and there seem to be contingencies in place for every possible hiccup, even drunken tourists . Perhaps this leaves a small space, beyond the perils of modernity, for something that resembles grace. Here are some tips. 1: Plan. […]
While the rest of the world drags itself out of bed at 4:00 a.m. to watch a bunch of guys haggle over tuna at Tsukiji Market, I am still fast asleep. After treating myself to a hot bath and an elegant Japanese breakfast, I will be ready to start my day. I’ll spend the day […]
Some women fall prey to Manolos, while others lose their heads (and 401K’s) to Chanel or Louis Vuitton. I’m just not that kind of girl. For me, it’s kitchen stuff – wasabi graters made of sharkskin, spoons and ladles, stoneware, katsuobushi shavers. Above all, carbon steel, given a final bump and grind, while you watch, […]
Senso-ji, dedicated to the bodhisattva of compassion, Kannon, is metropolitan Tokyo’s oldest temple. Most of the temple was destroyed during Allied bombing raids in 1945 and rebuilt after the war. Senso-ji’s history dates back nearly 1400 years to 628 AD when, according to legend, two brothers were fishing in the nearby Sumida river and dragged […]
Ramen and other Asian noodles have become a contact sport in the United States. This is pretty much true of cooking and most other kitchen activities, once recognized as the domain of women. Just like the caves at Lascaux before Robert Bly got hold of ’em. Okay, the caves are ours. Always have been, always […]
The vast majority of visitors to Miyajima remain on the island for only a few short hours, a day trip from Hiroshima. Not venturing past the torii gate, paying their respects at Itsukushima, they return to the ferry terminal, stopping along the way to shop on lively Omotesando street with its restaurants, food stalls, and […]
I overheard a tourist snipe, as she passed a group of fellow tourists waiting in a queue on the platform directly facing the famous orange torii, “how many pictures can you take of a wooden gate?” Every picture reveals a different torii as the tide rises or falls, or the light changes from morning to […]
Getting to Kurokawa, a tiny onsen town on the island of Kyushu, requires a leap of faith and, for someone who speaks baby Japanese and can read only romaji, an act of god. For me, it meant two Shinkansen, a local train, a “limousine” bus, and a taxi driver with a smart little cap and […]
After two weeks of running all over Japan, with more to follow, I chose to hang my yukata at an inn with private outdoor onsen, four of them, one in a cave, staying put to soak my feet but for hikes and walks through the countryside. My room also had its own indoor onsen. A […]
A very narrow alley, barely wide enough for two pedestrians side-by-side, running from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, one block west of the Kayo River, Pontocho Alley is one of Kyoto’s most atmospheric dining streets. It offers a wide variety of dining options, from inexpensive yakitori to exclusive establishments requiring the right connections and a very fat […]
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