Japan was every bit as cool, bizarre, exhausting, and amazing as I imagined it would be. It's unbelievable how much history and culture is packed into a cluster of small islands. I could have devoted at least ten more blog posts to Japan, but I'll spare you for your--and my--sanity. Below is a summary of … Continue reading Japan recap
Japan
Japanese convenience stores
"Really, a blog post about Japanese convenience stores?" you might think. "Is that really necessary?" Yes, it is completely necessary. They are glorious, and I'm going to give them the recognition they deserve. Eater has an excellent article about Japanese convenience stores. As the article notes, convenience stores aren't just for food. 7-Elevens have ATMs … Continue reading Japanese convenience stores
Sapporo and Nagano
To cap off my visit to Japan, I visited Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido and Nagano, host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, in October. SAPPORO My blood had thinned after more than four months in Southeast Asia, so I was freezing in the 50-degree weather in Sapporo. Armed with a new sweater from … Continue reading Sapporo and Nagano
Hiroshima and Miyajima
I spent three nights in Hiroshima in the beginning of October and took a day trip to the nearby island of Miyajima. HIROSHIMA A visit to Hiroshima would be incomplete without learning more about the bombing in World War II. I first visited the A-Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings left standing after the … Continue reading Hiroshima and Miyajima
Kyoto
Before I visited Kyoto, fellow backpackers rhapsodized about how beautiful it was. They were absolutely right. What I wasn’t expecting were the enormous crowds and #boyfriendsofinstagram (my favorite hashtag) everywhere. I should have known better. Like, duh, Kyoto isn't exactly a little-known destination. To make Kyoto work for me, I adopted the following strategies: I … Continue reading Kyoto
A. CHOO'S TRAVELS 