Blogs from Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, Asia - page 2

Most North Americans would shudder at the thought of themselves or others loudly slurping while eating, but in Japan, it’s not only expected, but encouraged. It’s believed that the practice originated as an url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nippon.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fb07501%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C3162a11af5934607449408d9cec29ae4%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637768157493118079%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=ZzYa81Yt2SCZR1a9Gtlzvb%2BN2AuX7o7EiJRmd3pijYQ%3D&reserved=0olfactory experience — slurping soba noodles simply augmented the aromatic flavors when air was taken in through the mouth at the same time. From there, as other dishes such as ramen proliferated, the practice did too. The custom, which is relegated to noodles only, does spark some url=https://na... read more

The article on MSN Travel Voices featured a young African American woman, traveling in Japan. Here are some of her thoughts and observations: url=https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/How-Travel-While-Working-44457039?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=link_4When I go abroad, I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders to be a good example of a black woman so negative stereotypes don't continue, especially in homogeneous cultures where there is a lack of diversity. The media doesn't exactly portray black people incredibly well, and people watch it and make assumptions about what we're like based on the color of our skin. In some places, they've rarely even seen a black person in real life. I am constantly aware of every move I make when I step outside of the United States. There is not a single moment when I am not c... read more

Shinjuku Gyoen We met up with my mother and my aunt at South Exit of Shinjuku Station at 11 o’clock, and as planned, we went to Shinjuku Gyoen. Before I came over to Britain for marriage, I’d lived in Tokyo for 25 years and have come to Tokyo several times since I started living in the UK. However, I had not visited some of the sightseeing places including Shinjuku Gyoen. I’d heard that Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo’s most popular parks. It wasn’t far from Shinjuku station. We each paid ¥500 for the admission fee. Having looked through the map, we understood that this park consists of three parts: Japanese traditional garden, landscape garden and formal garden. We started ambling through traditional Japanese garden. We followed the footpath and board walk along three large ponds ... read more

I took another bullet train the 750 km or so from Hiroshima up to Tokyo. It took around four hours which is a tad better than southern rail might manage. Arrived at the main station but had to transfer round to the area my hotel was in by metro. As i was heading over to my line an announcement came over the tanoy saying it was closed "Due to a person" apparently this is a Japanese railway euphemism for a suicide. All very sad i'm sure but it made my life a bloody nightmare. Finally got where I was going and checked into my hotel with another room the size of a small shoe box. Food and drink here is very reasonably priced and of very high quality but hotel prices would bring a tear to ... read more

Just a few more short takes from Tokyo Lolita No, it’s not what you think. Lolita refers to a particular fashion look that some young women in Japan wear. Far from being blatantly sexy, these women dress very demurely, in full skirts with voluminous petticoats and high-necked blouses. They often wear a big bow in their hair, or sometimes a lace cap. Think of a Victorian Alice in Wonderland. This is about looking sweet and cute. As is true of fashion for young women everywhere, there is a lot of money involved in being a Lolita girl. First is the outfit itself. This is not some obscure, cobbled together look. I visited one department store that had six whole floors (!) of Lolita fashion. The one small section of the store not devoted to Lolita was ... read more