Since I was pregnant most of our first year in Japan, once our second year began (I mean, obviously once our daughter was born) I was most excited about learning to love sake! To get ready for that momentous occasion, we stopped into a sake museum/brewery in the Osaka area and learned how it was…
Category: Japan
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle is one of Japan’s most beloved. The ‘White Heron’ castle is one of the few surviving originals in the entire country.
Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle brings Japan’s samurai history to life.
Tokyo Toy Museum
Just before my daughter was born, in the high August heat, we had a last day date in Tokyo, just my son and I. He had a modeling audition and once it was over, I had the genius idea to head across town to the Tokyo Toy Museum. It was inside, it was air-conditioned, and it….
Tokyo DisneySea!
On what started out as an overcast, cloudy day this summer, my son and I drove out to Tokyo DisneySea to enjoy some one-on-one time before his little sister arrived and gave him some competition made us a family of four. He’s not much on rides yet at this age (2), so the Toyville Trolley…
Out & About in the Izu Peninsula
Our girls weekday trip to the Izu Peninsula was a pretty awesome respite from the hustle-and-bustle tourism we always get up to in Tokyo. We had gorgeous weather during our short road trip and we took full advantage, hitting up a local geopark that boasted a pretty cool cave and sand ski area. What’s that…
Hiking Kawazu Seven Falls
Just before the heat of the summer got unbearable, a dear friend and I took all our kids down for a weekend away on the Izu Peninsula. We’d been on the lookout for easy road trips, and this fit the bill for a seven-month-pregnant person: all its famous hikes were reputed to be ridiculously easy…
Fuji Safari Park
It’s no secret that I am obsessed with safaris. I love animals. I love nature. Seeing animals IN their natural habitat is something of a perfect fit, and we even have a separate savings account dedicated toward going on an African safari, one small weekly deposit at a time. So when I learned there was an…
Fuji Peace Park
In early summer, we took a quick day trip to Fuji Peace Park, a couple hours away from our house. We’d seen some incredible views of Fuji-san from here on a friend’s Facebook photos, and my hardcore FOMO kicked in – I had to see it for myself. The views didn’t disappoint. From the moment…
Picking Fruit & Vegetables in Japan!
One of the most surprising things to me about living in Japan is how much seasonal foods & flowers impact daily life here. We’ve attended countless festivals celebrating the turn of the seasons, and one of my favorite apps is one called 72 Seasons, which outlines the changing of Japan’s seasons based on the ancient…
Kate Has Thoughts 