Sumo wrestling is something that lots of us have wondered about. Well, my nephew and I had a chance to go to a sumo tournament while we were in Japan. In fact, the first part of our trip was built around the idea that we go to a tournament — there are six annually in four different cities. So Nagoya… Read More
Tokyo’s Electric City – Akihabara – Leaves Me Wordless
The Akihabara area of Tokyo is also called the electric city and our friends Yoshiyuki & Tomoe included it on our quick tour of Tokyo. Although you are immediately struck by the bright colors (and bright lights at night), the area gets it’s name from all the shops that sell and fix the latest in electronics. But as Japanese electronics grew,… Read More
What is the Tanabata Festival? Thoughts From a First-Time Attendee
There are things you read about in tour guides or online and feel you know all there is to know about them; that wasn’t the case when I recently attended the tanabata matsuri (tanabata festival) in Hirakatsura, Kanagawa just outside Tokyo. I have heard about various festivals in Japan and as i began planning a vacation, thought it would be… Read More