I spent three nights in Osaka at the end of September and beginning of October, and took a couple of day trips from the city. OSAKA Osaka has "too much" of everything: food, drinks, people, and neon. This is exactly what makes the city so much fun. I spent most of my time in Dotonbori, … Continue reading Osaka, Nara, and Koyasan
Japan
Hakone, Nagoya, and Kanazawa
After spending about a week in Tokyo, I had a string of short visits to Hakone, Nagoya, and Kanazawa, all of which were within a 1.5- to three-hour train ride from the capital. HAKONE Hakone is a popular weekend trip from Tokyo. It’s a cozy and romantic town with many hot springs. To get to … Continue reading Hakone, Nagoya, and Kanazawa
Tokyo: the food
I’m going to state the obvious: the food in Japan is awesome. Since Tokyo was my first stop in Japan, I was on a mission to constantly eat and snack. I’m sure some people will say I didn’t do Tokyo right because I missed out on key foods and restaurants; they’re probably right. But let … Continue reading Tokyo: the food
Tokyo: the sights
I lived in Hawaii for about 3.5 years in the early and mid-1990s. Japanese tourists flocked to Hawaii during this time, and I went to school with a number of Japanese students. I thought my Japanese friends had the best snacks: crushed, dry instant ramen with powdered soup poured on top was the coolest thing … Continue reading Tokyo: the sights
A. CHOO'S TRAVELS 