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Japan

Visiting Osaka for Two Days

February 7, 2017 KeepCalmAndWander 0 Comments

With its numerous museums, historical attractions, food markets, and interesting culture, Japan’s second largest city is worth even a brief visit. From the bustling streets to the high-end shopping centers, from aquariums to gardens in the sky, Osaka will never fail to amaze you. If you’re planning a weekend in

Japan

The Neon Lights of Kabukicho in Shinjuku

September 8, 2015 KeepCalmAndWander 0 Comments

The neon lights of Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo can be blinding to the eye for a first timer like me. On the night I stayed at Green Plaza Shinjuku Capsule Hotel, I decided to explore Tokyo’s famed red light district. Right after dinner in one of tiny restaurants in the

Japan

Inside a Sake Factory in Japan

September 6, 2015 KeepCalmAndWander 0 Comments

Your trip to Japan won’t be complete without drinking a sake, right? But, it’s more interesting if you’ll go inside a sake factory and learn how the country’s most well-known, traditional social lubricant is made. Sake, I’ve learned, is a Japanese term for liquor. It is made from rice, thus,

Japan

The Winding Path of Fushimi Inari Taisha

December 7, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 0 Comments

I enjoyed walking on the winding path of Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. It’s not your ordinary footpath of concrete slabs. It’s a walkway under hundreds of red-orange torii that were erected continuously to create a magnificent tunnel-like trail that goes into a mountain, lush green gardens and smaller Shinto temples.

, People

Portraits of a Geisha

March 10, 2014 KeepCalmAndWander 5 Comments

Geishas are cultural icons in Japan. It’s an old-age tradition that’s diminishing nowadays as the country moves on to modern times. You can see them in Tokyo but there are only a handful of them. In Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital, they can be seen in Gion, a district where most

, LGBTQ

Photo of the Day – Red O Torii in Miyajima

August 2, 2013 KeepCalmAndWander 0 Comments

Japan’s third most visited tourist attraction is Miyajima Island. The O Torii, The Grand Gate, is a gargantuan landmark that visitors would first see from afar. As the ferry comes closer, the red gate looks admirably stunning. When you get near it, the giant structure dwarfs everyone around. The closer

Japan

Mt. Fuji

September 28, 2010 alainsojourner 2 Comments

Konbanwa! Arigato! Exactly a year ago, I was in Japan and saw the grand natural wonder that is synonymous to Japan—Mt. Fuji. Together with newly-found friends through couchsurfing from Japan, Hungary, Germany, Peru, USA, and New Zealand, we walked around the lake where the Mighty Mountain stands so proud nearby.

Japan

Hakata Machiya Furusato-Kan in Fukuoka

October 1, 2009 KeepCalmAndWander 0 Comments

I woke up with the “rhythm of the falling rain.” And I dunno what to do for the day. The rain didn’t like it’s gonna stop soon. Should I go out and embrace the rain like the way I did when I was a kid—splashing naked under the rain or should

Japan

Delicious Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima!

September 29, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

When I got back to Hiroshima City, from Miyajima Island, I walked again for a long time at the Peace Boulevard. This time, no more camwhoring. I’ve used up my 5 GB memory card in the island. 🙂 I decided to try Hiroshima’s famous okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake. It was easy to find the

Japan

Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima Island

September 29, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

Miyajima is an island just an hour by tram (to its last station) from Hiroshima Station. It takes 30 minutes via JR Line Train. From the last tram station, I took a huge ferry to the island for ten minutes. Miyajima Island is Japan’s third most visited tourist attraction. Here,

Japan

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

September 28, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

You can’t unsee all the things you’ve seen inside Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. They will be with you forever. They might not haunt you but they’ll stay in your memory. The history. The displays. The graphic photos. The voices. The clothes. The ruins. The objects. The haunting feeling. The guilt. The horrors and terrors. The scream. The hopelessness. The victims.

The A-Bomb Dome is the only surviving building during the Hiroshima Bombing / Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.

Japan

Landmarks to see at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima

September 28, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

There are no more traces of the war and the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. Except for the A-Bomb Dome which is preserved and sturdily standing by the river. People are moving on but they don’t forget that saddest day of their lives and they don’t forget to honor the 140,000 victims

Japan

Dotombori Namba is the heartbeat of Osaka

September 26, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

Dotombori Namba is the heartbeat of Osaka’s city life. It’s a good place to do everything: eat, shop, drink or watch strangers as they go by. This area has a lot of Japanese teenagers ready to get wasted, have fun and maybe, get laid. The colourful neon lights and the

, Japan

Japan: Gay Osaka

September 26, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

While typing this blog update, I am tipsy. Ok, well, in between tipsy and drunk. What’s the word? The Japanese guy I met at a sauna called Hokuohkan kept on pouring me some sparkling wine at the dinner. And to answer your questions, dahlin, “No, we didn’t do it.” We

, Japan

Open Museum of Traditional Houses

September 26, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

The Open Museum of Traditional Houses in Osaka is in the outskirts of the city but it is very accessible to the subway. From the subway, challenge yourself to walk for 800 meters. It’s easy to find it even if I didn’t see any billboards to direct me there. However,

Japan

World’s Largest Ferris Wheel and Largest Aquarium Tank in Osaka

September 25, 2009 alainsojourner 0 Comments

I went to two world records today. Oh no, I’m not talking about my sex life. LOL… I’m talking about two amazing things I’ve seen today: the World’s largest Ferris Wheel and the Largest Aquarium Tank in Osaka. Well, I didn’t know that until I read the brochure. JAPAN, THE LAND