Tag Archives: Japan

Tokyo: Thin is in

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Looking for hotels in Tokyo, I ran across the 9-story Rakuragu hotel which squeezes in an ultra-narrow site in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Located near the iconic Tokyo Station, the skinny hotel has just 14 rooms, its design prioritizes outdoor … Continue reading →

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We nearly missed it

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

April is National Poetry Month. Waka, or Japanese poetry, flourished in the court culture of the 6th to the 14th century in Japan. One of the well-known waka poets of this period was Ono no Komachi (小野 小町, c. 825 … Continue reading →

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Eggciting Travel News

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Tomorrow marks the opening of the Osaka World Expo, which will run until October 13,2025. The world’s fair, which is being held at Yumeshima Island outside of Osaka, is projected to welcome 28.2 million visitors. One of Japan’s signature pavilions, … Continue reading →

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Deep Fry Everything

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

As I may have mentioned 20 or 30 times, I’ve been planning a trip to Japan and keep falling down Japan related rabbit holes. Like any sane person, I love Japanese cuisine, but as a vegetarian it’s sometimes difficult to … Continue reading →

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Underground Reading

Posted on March 18, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Nestled in a copse in a corner of a verdant field in Kisaru, Japan there’s an inviting library built to serve local residents of a farming community. Designed by architect Hiroshi Nakamura, Library in the Earth occupies a space that … Continue reading →

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Travel Trash

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Lately, I’ve been reading travelers’ tales about the difficulty in locating someplace to drop-off trash and recycling while visiting Japan. So, I found this short piece by writer and long-time Japan resident Craig Mod on our cultural impulse to immediately … Continue reading →

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Not your typical cat videos

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

National Geographic wildlife photographer and filmmaker, Iwago Mitsuaki, presents a charming collection of cat footage from diverse locations around Japan. On this unique trip he discovers the lesser-known charms and customs of regions through the eyes of cats. The selection … Continue reading →

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Sentimental Souvenirs of the Past

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

   

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Spring is in the air (somewhere)

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The kawazu-sakura are now in full bloom 🌸 Known as Japan’s earliest cherry blossoms, roughly 850 of these trees line the Kawazu river in their native Shizuoka, signaling the first signs of spring. Depending on the weather, they should be … Continue reading →

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Book this Book Hotel

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The good news in planning an upcoming trip to Tokyo was that I managed to snag a cushy hotel in Shinjuku for five nights entirely free with reward points. However, the bad news is that I won’t be staying at … Continue reading →

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