Why I am excited to be going back to Japan
Before going to Japan for the second time, I have been practising my origami skills.
I love the way a simple square coloured piece of paper can be magically transformed by a series of crisp folds into an object of surprising elegance and beauty.
In Japan, I am hoping to learn a few more paper-folding skills. But in preparation, I have...
How I learned to make a perfect Japanese origami crane
Origami crane in the Japanese style
It was a thrill for me when I was in Japan recently to receive two spontaneous lessons in origami from complete strangers.
In the process, I learned two terrific techniques - one, how to make a very different crane, what I now...
Always a pleasure to explore calm, quiet, creative Tokyo
The ANA flight from Vancouver to Tokyo leaves at 3 in the afternoon, which means with the 17 hour time change, you get into the Japanese capital at 6 pm the following day.
This is perfect because by the time you get through customs and make the ride into town from Haneda Airport, you have just enough time for a...
Could this be the biggest dahlia in the world?
Giant dahlia at house in Kyoto
Over the years, I’ve seen dozens of dahlias, big and small, in all sorts of gardens here and abroad.
But I was surprised to see this gigantic dahlia growing in gardens in Japan recently.
The one in the photos here was growing at...
Fun start to Japan tour with visits to key Tokyo sites
My Japan tour got under way with a walking tour of the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku followed by a fun welcome dinner at a yakitori restaurant.
Kabukicho is the entertainment district, sometimes compared to Amsterdam’s Red Light area, but with a lot less accent on “love shops” and more emphasis on restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
This is partly why Kabukicho...
Into Japan’s famous “hell valley” to taste delicious black eggs
We came to Owakudani, also known as the “boiling valley”, an active volcanic area of Hakone, south of Tokyo, to see Mt. Fuji from a boat on Lake Ashinoko, a crater lake formed by the volcanic eruption in 1170.
However, the weather did not cooperate and clouds obscured the shy mountain and we were forced to entertain ourselves with other...
From Shinto shrine to sushi-making in Ginza
The Meiji Shrine in Shiibuya was only a short ride from our hotel in Shinjuku.
Unlike yesterday, the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly.
It was a delight to gently strolled through the dappled woodland leading to the Shinto shine.
We saw the impressive, towering torii gate, the tradional Shinto gateway indicating that as we move towards the...
From Tokyo to Matsumoto, Takayama and Kanazawa
From Tokyo, we travelled by express train to Matsumoto, a city with views of the Japanese Alps, which were snow-capped and beautiful when we arrived.
Apparently, Nagano Prefecture, in which Matsumoto is located, is one of the most desirable parts of Japan to live, we were told, because of the quality of life and freedom from catastrophic weather as well...
Lessons in peace and mercy in Hiroshima and Miyajima
The first place we went when we arrived in Hiroshima was to the site where the atom bomb exploded at 8:15 in the morning on August 6, 1945.
Today, there is a small monument on the street next to a hospital, directly below the sky where the bomb exploded about 600 meters above ground, instantly killing 80,000 people, many of...
