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10 Things I Love About Living In Tokyo
I have been here for 8 months at this point, so here are 10 things I love about living in Tokyo.
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
The museum features buildings from various periods in Japanese history, such as Edo period, Meiji period, Taishō period and as recent as the early Shōwa period.
Gōtoku-ji - Lucky Cat Temple
Gōtoku-ji temple is mostly known for the many Maneki-Neko or "Lucky Cats" which are displayed there. It is therefore commonly known as the Lucky Cat Temple.
Summer In Japan - How To Stay Cool
Day time temperatures in August regularly exceed 35°C (95°F) rarely dropping below 30°C (86°F) even at night, especially in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. However, it's not so much the heat that you may struggle most with, but the humidity!
Sensō-Ji Temple and Asakusa, Tokyo
Sensō-ji temple, located in Asakusa is Tokyo's oldest establish Buddhist temple, and the most widely visited religious site in the world.
Imperial Palace East Gardens - Tokyo
The Imperial Palace East Gardens is a historical garden in the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Built on the site of the original Edo Castle, during the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603 to 1868) as a palace for the heir to the Shogun, and later (1961) converted into the gardens we know today.
Nippara Limestone Caves
With ancient stratums from hundreds of millions or years ago, impressive stalagmites and stalactites, musical water drips, shrines and coloured lighting, the ambience and beauty of the caves really takes you away to a magical place.
Okutama - Ohtama Walking Trail
A day trip to Okutama is my personal recommendation for the perfect way to escape the city and enjoy nature.
Sunshine Aquarium - Ikebukuro, Tokyo
Nearly 40,000 individual fish across 70 or so tanks with a total water volume of 770,000 litres, it is a truly amazing place to visit.
Making Music - A New Approach
I checked that all my software would work with MacOS - Steinberg Cubase, DaVinci Resolve, Office, graphics and other design software. Every box was ticked! Very soon after, I found myself on the website, configuring my new machine.A short, but slow-feeling two weeks later, I had my MacBook Pro!
Buying a Suica card
For those who don't know what that is, Suica is an IC card which can be used (among other things) to pay for public transport around Tokyo, and the rest of Japan.
Pedestrians Watch Out! Cyclists About!
I had been putting off writing this post, and truthfully I still feel a bit beside myself while doing so now. For it is my intention that this blog be a positive and informative perspective of a British person living in Japan. Quite frankly, this is not a positive post, but it is (I hope) informative.
Strawberry Picking in Yamanashi Prefecture
A few weeks ago my wife and I went with friends to a lovely place in the middle of beautiful green fields in Yamanashi Prefecture, to pick strawberries.
Tokyo Mystery Circus - Escape Rooms
Escape Rooms are a unique experience which involves solving (usually) a number of puzzles to "escape" the room and win/complete the game.They are a fun and interactive game to be played with friends or in my (our) case, as a couple.
Getting Married in Japan
A life update for those who read and had wondered why this blog has been so quiet for a month... We have been a little busy!
Yakiniku - A Delicious Indoor Barbecue!
Yakiniku is Japans answer to meat lovers everywhere! Try it, enjoy it, waddle back to the station with a belly full of meat, and absolutely return again another day for more!
Shibuya Scramble - The Famous Crossing
In almost every list of top places to visit in Tokyo, or even Japan as a whole for that matter, I see Shibuya Scramble - The Famous Crossing...I was in Shibuya recently, not for the crossing but for other business.. So I decided while I was there to check it out and see what all the fuss was about..
Odaiba - Tokyo's Seaside
Odaiba, located in Tokyo Bay, is an artificial island originally constructed as a defensive fort/battery to protect the Tokyo area. Today it stands as a popular seaside destination. With a large sandy cove and a small handful of offshore islands, each with the remains of late Edo era fortresses and defensive structures upon them.
My First Shrine Visit
It is my hope that through more visits, I may gain a greater understanding and connection of and to my spiritual being.