Kicking back under clouds of pink blossoms in the warm spring sun, eating a picnic and drinking with friends – it’s something you always dreamed of doing in Japan, isn’t … Continue Reading Hacking Hanami: How To Get Yourself Invited To A Cherry Blossom Party
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 … Continue Reading Where To See The Best Fall Leaves In Tokyo
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 … Continue Reading Fishing For Women
On a fine spring day, how can you not be cheered by spotting koi nobori swimming through the sky? It’s Children’s Day again, here in Japan, and fathers & sons everywhere are celebrating … Continue Reading Fish Flag Day!
I love these. Every year on May 5, families fly koi nobori outside their houses as a sort of prayer that their sons will become like the carp that climbed … Continue Reading Swimming In The Sky
One day last fall, as I was walking through Yoyogi Park on my way to fall off the slackline, I saw this guy standing by a tree in a vaguely … Continue Reading Sit Down Stand Up
Today in Yoyogi Park I saw a big group of runners warming up near the place where I regularly fall off the slackline. That’s not unusual – packs of them … Continue Reading Running Blind
I didn’t think the Husky Club could outdo last month’s Husky kimono parade, but yesterday in honor of Japanese graduation season, they all turned up at the park dressed as manga … Continue Reading Manga Schoolgirl Dogs
When I went to Yoyogi Park on Sunday, it was still too cold to unzip my jacket, the cherry blossom buds were still tight as fists, and even the dogs … Continue Reading Rockabilly Spring
You can’t help but throw your head back and laugh in amazement when fifteen dogs parade by, dressed in Japanese formalwear. In honor of Hina Matsuri (the doll festival that happens … Continue Reading Dogs In Kimonos
Yoyogi Park isn’t just for the rockabillies and the aspiring idols of Japan – in a far corner, every weekend, Atsuhiko Kida sets up his slackline. 代々木公園は、ロカビリーや将来を夢見て練習しているスターの卵たちだけの場所ではありません。公園内に深く進んだある一角で、木田充彦さんは毎週末スラックラインを張っています。 From afar, you see … Continue Reading Slackline
It was a beautiful autumn afternoon yesterday in Yoyogi Park, and the rockabilly clubs were out in force. These guys gather around boom boxes near the Harajuku Station entrance, occasionally … Continue Reading Elvis is Alive and Performing in Yoyogi Park