Japan Archives - Page 11 of 23 - めちゃくちゃMechakucha

Hakodate

Hakodate is a city on the southern coast of Hokkaido, which used to be a 19th century trading port. There remain foreign influences throughout the city, most visibly in the way of of colonial era buildings. When Commodore Perry succeeded in opening up some trading ports in Japan, Hakodate was one of them. It’s also… Continue reading Hakodate

Shibuya sakura festival lanterns

Everyone’s waiting for spring! Pink lanterns sponsored by local shops herald the upcoming cherry blossom festival (28 March) in Shibuya.

Nemo not on the menu

Tried to get into a Balinese restaurant last night in Ginza, but it was full. Don’t think Nemo would have been on the menu anyway.

How to put on a kasa condom

When it rains in Japan, many shops expect people to slide their umbrellas into a plastic sleeve provided at the door, to stop puddles of water on the floor.

Hakodate from above

I’ve been in Hakodate for a bit over am hour, and made a bee line for Mt Hakodate, which has a sensational they over the city. But be careful of those icy footpaths – they’re slippery!

Snow in Tokyo

It’s snowing in Tokyo. Those white specks on the umbrella are unmelted snow flakes! It’s not cold enough to stick, but it’s the first time this season.

Japanese beer label research

I’ve been undertaking weeks of painstaking research. We all know that Japanese beer is excellent. One-by-one, I’ve been working through the different beers on sale in my local convenience stores. This has been a long term project, which I realised I’d started when I looked at my collection of cans building up over time for… Continue reading Japanese beer label research

Rambling around the Kamakura Alps

Japan has the Kita (North) Alps, the Minami (South) Alps, and, according to my Japanese language guidebook called “Tokyo One Day Hiking”, also has the Kamakura Alps. Of course, they’re only about 100 or so metres above sea level, and civilisation almost reaches their peaks.