Okay, as the self-diagnosed Queen of Fail when it comes to Japanese crafts (remember the “rabbit” from the animal lollipops workshop?), I was pretty sure that any fake food I made without the experts at the Make Your Own Plastic Food Workshop would look more like something from the compost bin than a reputable kitchen. But so many people told me they were dyingContinue reading “Make Your Own Plastic Food…At Home!”
Category Archives: Awesome Stuff To Do
Let’s Go To Bunny Island!
If your squee-meter isn’t totally burnt out after Fox Village, it certainly will be, after we check out BUNNY ISLAND! Okunoshima isn’t easy to get to, but that’s why there’s an entire chunk of land off the coast of Japan where adorable bunnies run free, without fear of being eaten (or, obviously, having their natural urges curbed in any way). Okay, admitContinue reading “Let’s Go To Bunny Island!”
How To Make The Most Beautiful Lollipops In The World
OK, I admit, I did not make this lollipop. I went to the workshop taught by the artist who made it, but the thing I ended up making did not remotely, remotely, REMOTELY resemble this lollipop. First of all – to be fair – we weren’t supposed to be making goldfish (which is, like, the Mt. Everest of lollipop making).Continue reading “How To Make The Most Beautiful Lollipops In The World”
How To Go To Zao Fox Village: Squeeee Capital Of The World
Jaded denizen of the interwebz that I am, there’s not much that makes me leap out of my chair and scream “WANT!” but when I first saw a picture taken at Zao Fox Village, I had to drop everything and figure out a way to get there. It’s far from Tokyo – five hours by car –Continue reading “How To Go To Zao Fox Village: Squeeee Capital Of The World”
Where To See The Best Iris Gardens In Tokyo
Fields of riotously blooming purple, blue & white iris? Yes, please! Here are the best places in Tokyo to see the iris extravaganzas of your dreams. HASEDERA TEMPLE in Kamakura Iris are at their peak in this garden from June 1-15 (lucky for you, it’s the same time you can also see their very famousContinue reading “Where To See The Best Iris Gardens In Tokyo”
Partying With The Gods
When winter finally lets go of Tokyo and the days start to get long and warm, it’s time to take the local deities out and show them a good time! But the kami-sama can’t just wedge onto the train like the rest of us – they have to be taken around in style while being reminded of theContinue reading “Partying With The Gods”
Tokyo Design Festa 2015: Seriously, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
Last weekend, Tokyo’s Design Festa delivered a level of craziness so far beyond words that once again, I’m just going to have to show you pictures. First, from the double rainbow world of animal goods… Design Festa is held twice a year, in May and November. Admission is ¥1000 for a one day ticket, ¥1800 for a two-day pass, childrenContinue reading “Tokyo Design Festa 2015: Seriously, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up”
Vast Carpets Of Lawn Cherries!
Outside of Japan, nobody has heard of shibazakura, but they should! Check out the rolling hills covered with pink flowers that bloom in the middle of May! (They’re actually a variety of phlox, so I’m guessing the “sakura” part of the name is a feeble-ish attempt to ride the coattails of Japan’s more famous flower season, but they DO deliverContinue reading “Vast Carpets Of Lawn Cherries!”
Real Life Tokyo Drift
The roar of unmufflered engines! The smell of burning rubber! The gratuitously skimpy costumes of booth babes! Yes, this weekend is the Gran Turismo D1 Professional Drifting Grand Prix, and it does not disappoint! 2017 update: If you happen to be in town and want to see Tokyo Drift, it’s a two day event (Sat & Sun)Continue reading “Real Life Tokyo Drift”
The Best SECRET Cherry Blossom Spots In Tokyo!
Cherry blossoms and crowds go together like long bathroom lines and hanami parties, but at these secret Tokyo spots, you can enjoy the pinkness without getting trampled, even at peak season! Here are my favorite places: • ARK HILLS New for 2019! Best time to go: It’s pretty uncrowded all the time but it’s best when theContinue reading “The Best SECRET Cherry Blossom Spots In Tokyo!”
Sexy Red Undies Opposite Day
So, there’s this street in Tokyo I’ve written about before that’s known as the “Grandma & Grandpa’s Harajuku” because it’s where all the oldsters go to stock up on the latest elderly comforts and fashions. My favorite store on Koshinzuka Street is the “Red Underpants” shop, which specializes in many, many, MANY styles of lucky red underwearContinue reading “Sexy Red Undies Opposite Day”
Godzilla In Legoland
The Grand Imperial Empire Of Lego obviously isn’t only in Japan, but an especially awesome part of it is! Welcome to Tokyo Legoland, where Godzilla is king, and Pokemons rule! Open: Tokyo Legoland is open 7 days a week. Hours: Weekdays 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Weekends & holidays 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Admission: ¥2300 per person, under 2Continue reading “Godzilla In Legoland”
How To Walk Across The Rainbow Bridge!
This has to be the most gorgeous walk in Tokyo. If you start at twilight, you can see the entire Tokyo waterfront slowly light up like the best holiday light show ever! Here’s how I do it: I get off the train at Tamachi station and go out the main exit. There’s about a five minute walk, across two canals, untilContinue reading “How To Walk Across The Rainbow Bridge!”
Get Your Wallet Blessed By Fire & Drums
There’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned fire ceremony to get your year off to a blazing start! Flaming prayer sticks, drums being pounded by ultra-buff young priests, the chance to get your wallet blessed – what’s not to like? The fire ceremony at the Fukugawa Fudo temple in Monzen Nakacho did not disappoint! If your experience with BuddhismContinue reading “Get Your Wallet Blessed By Fire & Drums”
The Mother Of All Illuminations Theme Parks
When I was a kid, every year in mid-December we’d all pile into the car and drive around to find the house with the most over-the-top Xmas decorations. No surprise, I am a total, total sucker for Xmas lights. But I never saw anything that even came close to the amazing, blazing Illuminations displays that Tokyo neighborhoods started puttingContinue reading “The Mother Of All Illuminations Theme Parks”
Where To See The Best Fall Leaves In Tokyo
I hope you’re all rested up from our cherry blossom death march last spring, because it’s time to strap on your camera and a couple of extra batteries to hunt down the best autumn leaves in Tokyo! Here are my picks, from momiji season through ginkgo: Arranged from earliest to latest: SHOWA KINEN PARK – Tachikawa TellContinue reading “Where To See The Best Fall Leaves In Tokyo”
Where To See The Best Chrysanthemums In Tokyo
These eye-popping exhibitions will change your opinion of those humble fall flowers forever! Here’s where to see the best chrysanthemums in Tokyo: • JINDAI BOTANICAL GARDEN Dates: October 25 – November 17th (2019) Admission: Adults: ¥500, Children: ¥250 • Dates: November 1-17 (2019) Admission: Free • YUSHIMA TENJIN SHRINE Dates: November 1-23 Admission: Free • SHINJUKU GYOUENContinue reading “Where To See The Best Chrysanthemums In Tokyo”
Tokyo Design Festa: Zombie Matryoshika & More
If you’re in Tokyo, get thee to Design Festa RIGHT NOW! It’s on through Sunday the 9th, out in Odaiba at Big Sight. You definitely don’t want to miss seeing (and buying!): Design Festa is on from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. through Sunday November 9 at Tokyo Big Sight convention center, near Kokusai-tenjijo Station.Continue reading “Tokyo Design Festa: Zombie Matryoshika & More”
「Yokohama Smart Illuminations」: Wow. Just…wow.
Last night I went to see what I thought was going to be a modest art-light event on the Yokohama waterfront, secretly expecting that the photos from past years were exaggerating the quality of the illuminations. I was SO WRONG! This event was spectacular. See for yourself! •
Festival Of 10,000 Lanterns
Every once in a while, Japan so wildly exceeds expectations, it’s hard to put it into words, so I’ll just show you pictures of last night’s Oeshiki Ikegami festival instead. And just for fun, here are the eleven strangest shrines in Tokyo, with all the inside scoop on the resident gods’ superpowers •
Up To My Knees In A Vermilion Sea
As you may have guessed by now, in Japan no flower is safe from being planted together en masse, in order to deliver total sensory overload at the appointed moment. It’s no surprise that cherry blossoms, wisteria and azaleas all vie to attract record crowds as they burst into bloom, but who knew that lesser-known denizens have their ownContinue reading “Up To My Knees In A Vermilion Sea”
Art Aquarium
Part laser light show, part aquatic extravaganza, Art Aquarium is the newest take on the old idea of keeping cool during the steamy Japanese summertime by contemplating goldfish bowls. Over 3 million people have visited this summer-long exhibition since it started in 2008, and now I see why: giant artfully-designed aquariums use inset lenses, unusual facetedContinue reading “Art Aquarium”
Fishing For Women
Of all the rakugo performances I’ve seen, Fishing For Women is my fave. It’s got great characters, including a guy who’s more of a nightmare than the worst Tinder story you’ve ever heard! THE CHARACTERS In this story, a nice old fisherman is visited by a beautiful ghost, but the dateless wonder next door has other ideas… And then…! If you watch the video,Continue reading “Fishing For Women”
The Wart Shrine
Warts. Just hearing their name makes you want to get rid of them faster than pronto. And what easier way, than to visit the Wart-Be-Gone Jizo at Nishiarai Daishi temple? Just toss a coin in the box and take a pinch of the sacred pile-o-salt to rub on the offending carbuncle, and this benevolent bodhisattva will cure whatContinue reading “The Wart Shrine”
Peonies As Big As Dinner Plates!
Not to be outdone by the cherry blossoms, azaleas and wisteria, the peonies of Tokyo come into their glory in May and June! First the big boys, like these at the Hama-Rikyu Garden, then the lovely fragrant ones at Nishiarai Daishi Temple. If you’d like to visit the Hama-Rikyu Teien garden or Nishiarai Daishi temple orContinue reading “Peonies As Big As Dinner Plates!”
Flower Dream Expo
You know how everybody thinks Japanese people sit around in their kimonos all day, arranging flowers into works of art? Well, they don’t. But when they do…it’s amazing. If you’re in Tokyo in April and you’d like to go to Flower Dream, check their website for more info. •
Cherry Blossoms Lit Up At Night: My Favorite Spots!
Oh no, don’t think you can put your feet up and flip some channels after the sun goes down during cherry blossom season – thanks to the current craze for “illuminations,” the ogling opportunities will seriously cut into your TV time. Here are my favorite nighttime viewing spots. Get thee to the nearest grove and give your camera aContinue reading “Cherry Blossoms Lit Up At Night: My Favorite Spots!”
Firewalking 101
I’m not sure who first thought that walking across burning coals would be an awesome superpower to have, but sometime in the distant past, that’s exactly what a bunch of more-rugged-then-thou Japanese warrior priests learned to do. Firewalking is still done once a year at the foot of Mt. Takao by practitioners of shugendo, aContinue reading “Firewalking 101”
The Anime Shrine
If you live, breathe, and want to work in anime, the Kanda Myōjin shrine is the place to pray that your dreams come true. But you’d better bring your markers and all your drawing chops, because competition for the gods’ attention is fierce. At most shrines, prayers are just scribbled on the backs of woodenContinue reading “The Anime Shrine”
Where To Get The Best Cup Of Coffee In The Whole World
Let me ask you this: how often can you get something that’s the best in the world for less than ten bucks? Because today – score! – I had the BEST COFFEE IN THE WORLD for ¥700. It was at a little timeslip of a coffee bar in Ginza called the Café Bechet. Naturally –Continue reading “Where To Get The Best Cup Of Coffee In The Whole World”
Beer Engineering
Three to seven. That’s the ideal ratio of foamy head to actual beer, according to the experts at the Ebisu Brewery. And how do you achieve this perfect glass of brewski? Well, first, you have to be drinking Ebisu, which is engineered to deliver that perfect ratio, every time. But if you’re a bartender drawing upContinue reading “Beer Engineering”
The Lucky Cat Temple
In a corner of Gotokuji Temple, I discovered a Kannon figure totally surrounded by maneki neko lucky cats! Their raised paws are believed to beckon money and good luck into the owner’s business, so shopkeepers from all over Tokyo come here to buy a cat figure and offer it to the bodhisattva, hoping for a bigContinue reading “The Lucky Cat Temple”
At The Ise Shrine, Everything New Is Old
The god of rice’s building at the Ise Shrine sits next to a vacant lot. Or, actually, a construction site. Because every twenty years, a replica of the rice god’s shrine is lovingly built right next door. In the twentieth year, the god of rice is moved from the old shrine to the new, andContinue reading “At The Ise Shrine, Everything New Is Old”
Tokyo Illuminations 2013
Once again, the holiday light displays in Tokyo were totally over the top! Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi led the way, with another lovely abstract creation set to a dreamy soundtrack. This year, the lights leapt free of the ground in glittering arcs, bounding across the ever-changing field of blue. Since couples on romantic “illuminations” datesContinue reading “Tokyo Illuminations 2013”
Slaves Of Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum growers, You are the slaves Of chrysanthemums. I must admit I didn’t fully understand Basho’s haiku until I saw these astonishing examples of chrysanthemum husbandry at the Yushima Tenjin Shrine last weekend… If you’d like to visit the Yushima Shrine the next time you’re in Tokyo, visit my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’dContinue reading “Slaves Of Chrysanthemums”
Giant Faux White Herons
It’s not every day I nip out to the local shrine for a little photo taking and run into gaggle of women dressed as eight foot tall birds. Japan can be weird, but it’s not usually this weird! They were performing a thousand-year-old dance called Shirasagi no Mai, which means (unsurprisingly), White Heron Dance. It was originally performedContinue reading “Giant Faux White Herons”
St. Nyancat Of Matchmaking
If you want to find the gf/bf of your dreams, this is the place to do it! The gods of the Imado Shrine in Asakusa are apparently better at forking over perfect mates than the yenta in Fiddler On The Roof. This shrine is also the birthplace of the maneki neko cats you see wavingContinue reading “St. Nyancat Of Matchmaking”
Hangover Coffins: Rent ‘Em By The Hour
Next time you wake up and feel like you’ve died and gone to hell, spend an hour sleeping off that mandatory company drinking party in an oxygen-filled hangover coffin! You’ll not only emerge without that pounding head and queasy stomach, you’ll feel thinner, younger, more relaxed and able to perform feats of athletic prowess withContinue reading “Hangover Coffins: Rent ‘Em By The Hour”
Tomb Of The Untold Stories
Here lie the funniest Japanese stories ever told. Or so they say, because when it was decided in 1941 that tales of wayward sons in the red light district, mistress mishaps and too much saké were inappropriately funny for wartime, the famous rakugo performers who buried them under this slab vowed the stories would never beContinue reading “Tomb Of The Untold Stories”
Catch Your Own Noodles
Next time you hoist a brew over the sad story of the one that got away, nobody is going to believe it was a NOODLE. But if you want to snag a tasty bite of nagashi sōmen, that’s just what might happen when you try to scoop the slippery little dudes up with your chopsticksContinue reading “Catch Your Own Noodles”
I’ll Take A Pound Of The Cricket Snacks, Please
Mmm-mmm, on market day in Koshinzuka, they still sell inago tsukudani, scoops of Jiminy Cricket’s relatives all toasted up nice and crispy in a salty-sweet marinade. And what do they taste like, you may ask? Okay, I admit I chickened out of this one. But if they’re anything like shrimp tsukudani or tuna tsukudani orContinue reading “I’ll Take A Pound Of The Cricket Snacks, Please”
The Secret Garden
Behind the long, boring building mostly known for blocking views of the pagoda at Senso-ji is the secret garden of Denpo-in. Within those walls is a serene retreat used by the priests for meditation, closed to the public except for a few days each year. But if you’re in Tokyo right now, woo hoo, it’sContinue reading “The Secret Garden”
Tokyo Steampunk!
Alice In Wonderland X Jules Verne! Gothic Lolita X Victorian Mourning! Manga X Edwardian Gentleman! In the land where costume is king (and often queen, even if you’re not a woman!), steampunk does not disappoint. The Tokyo Steampunk Society has adopted a time travel motif, which allows anybody who already cosplays to reimagine themselves inContinue reading “Tokyo Steampunk!”
Magical Food At The Ninja Restaurant
I have to admit, until last week I’d never been to a restaurant where my waitress brought me an egg, set it on fire and turned it into a chicken. Apparently, when the waitress is a ninja, this is no big deal. A minor exertion, in fact, after conjuring up a drawbridge so we couldContinue reading “Magical Food At The Ninja Restaurant”
A Japanese Garden That Makes Music
This garden is actually a musical instrument! All you have to do to play it is scoop up a dipper of water and pour it over the rocks. If you put your ear up to the end of the bamboo stick nearby, you can hear the water as it drips down into the buried cistern,Continue reading “A Japanese Garden That Makes Music”
Funeral For A Pin
In Japan, February 8th is the day that old and broken needles are laid to rest. Anyone whose work involves sewing stuff together gathers at Awashima Shrine in Asakusa for a requiem service to thank their old needles and pins for good and faithful service. During the harikuyo memorial service, seamstresses, tailors, shoemakers, and milliners approachContinue reading “Funeral For A Pin”
Out, Troll, Out! Setsubun For The Modern Age
While everyone was congratulating themselves on demon possession being at an all time low…damn! The pesky oni sneaked out and rebranded themselves! But that doesn’t mean we have to just lie back and let ourselves get trolled! Setsubun is the perfect holiday for showing those rickrollers the door. Here’s how: Chances are, you have aContinue reading “Out, Troll, Out! Setsubun For The Modern Age”
Holiday Lights Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This!
Forget the plastic Santas and bobbing dwarves mistaken for elves – let’s skip right to the computer-choreographed field of lights that pulses and ripples to wintry electronic music! The display at Tokyo Midtown this year is jaw-droppingly spectacular, with shadowy shapes that flicker across the twinkly landscape like clouds passing in fast motion, punctuated byContinue reading “Holiday Lights Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This!”
The Leaves Are Nice, But It’s All About The Sticky Rice Balls
Yeah, yeah, I know – leaves glowing in autumnal splendor, fall evening clear and crisp, moon shining bright, pond like a mirror, and the photos are sure to wow the folks back home. But let’s go bottom line: it’s really all about the miso dango. I’ve waited ALL YEAR for the Rikugi-en garden in Komagome toContinue reading “The Leaves Are Nice, But It’s All About The Sticky Rice Balls”
King Of Tattoo Returns!
The King Of Tattoo ink-o-rama is going on all weekend here in Tokyo, and this year the artists and crowd were even more spectacular than last year’s extravaganza! Nearly all the attendees – both men and women – had art over more than 50% of their bodies, and a lot of it was of subject matterContinue reading “King Of Tattoo Returns!”
Only In Japan 