Tag Archives: Japan

Japan’s coffee jones

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

During a recent trip to Japan I was pleasantly surprised by many things. As a coffee geek, I was happy to discover that vending machine canned coffee is actually good throughout the country. But what I didn’t expect to find … Continue reading →

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Ghosts, Goblins and Samurai

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Here he goes again blathering on about Japan. Anyway, I ran across this marvelous title that is resplendent with a series of wonderful illustrations by the British artist Evelyn Paul . The impressive  Myths & Legends of Japan, a guide … Continue reading →

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Inspired by Miyazaki

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

In case you were wondering, yes I’m still captivated by all things Japan. The marvelously atmospheric video below was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved film Princess Mononoke. Last year, director Steve Atkins took a hike through Yakushima’s forest, which is known … Continue reading →

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How it’s done

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The 90-minute video below demonstrates the making of a batch of woodblock prints “from blank paper to finished print” from the printer’s POV. It is a fascinating look at the complex process. In the video below, Tokyo-based printmaker Dave Bull … Continue reading →

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August Bonfires

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Gozan Okuribi (bonfires) held on the evening of August 16 is one of Kyoto’s many popular and symbolic religious ceremonies in summer. Okuribi (bonfires) are said to send off ancestors’ spirits to the other side. People believe ancestral spirits come … Continue reading →

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Summer (is fleeting)

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Originally composed as the main theme for Takeshi Kitano’s 1999 film Kikujiro, Joe Hisaishi’s beautiful piece “Summer” has long been cherished in Japan as the soundtrack of nostalgic summer memories. Now, this beloved masterpiece is reimagined as a short film. … Continue reading →

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Book Making

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

If you are a regular visitor to Travel Between The Pages, you will be well aware that I am enamored with books. I have been a bibliophile since I picked up my first book. By this I mean that I … Continue reading →

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Pictures of the floating world

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to Travel Between The Pages are well aware of my fondness for Japanese woodblock prints. I recently found an old link to the Library of Congress page with over 2500 hi-resolution scans of Japanese woodcuts on their site. … Continue reading →

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Odds and Ends

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to TBTP know that I love my coffee but I’m not sure this is a good idea.  Vampires are typically depicted as being weakened or even incinerated by sunlight.  Now the Department of Computer Science at the Eastern … Continue reading →

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Kyoto Retreat

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

During my all too brief week in Kyoto, I was unable to visit one of the city’s best kept secrets due to scheduling conflicts. If find yourself in the old imperial capital and you want to escape the frenetic pace … Continue reading →

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