Blogs from Tokyo, Japan, Asia - page 3

As you are probably aware by now, I have so much information to share about my upcoming trip to Japan. My travel buddy, Mike and I will hit Tokyo, Nagoya (my grandparents' hometown), Kyoto, and back to Tokyo. We also hope to see a dear friend of ours, who studied in the US for many years, and has returned to corporate life in Tokyo. She will provide the "insider's" view and experience, I am certain. (Ironically, she will visit us here in the US next week, just before we leave for Tokyo!) I have researched much of the background information, covering a wide range of subjects, mostly food, but some history, culture, and perhaps unknown aspects of Japanese life. I have done the museum and temple tours, so that will be at a minimum here. But ... read more

Tokyo has more people than all of Texas, just no drawl or cowboy boots. Over 37 million people live here. And quite remarkably, Tokyo has more Michelin stars than London and Paris combined! On the sporting side, Tokyo is one of only ten cities to host the Olympics more than once. But the greater Tokyo area has FIVE major league baseball teams. And Shibuya Crossing is the world's busiest pedestrian intersection. And Shinjuku Station is the busiest train station. In fact, we start the trip by staying in Shinjuku, and end it by staying in Shibuya. Despite its modern or futuristic landscape, Tokyo has a 7th century temple, and some of the oldest shops on earth. Japan is home to more than 33,000 businesses that are over 100 years old, some dating back to the 6th ... read more

I love Tokyo. If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it. Most chefs I know would agree with me. Anthony Bourdain. We’ve all seen photos of Tokyo, but until you are there you cannot imagine the enormity of this city. Dave refers to this as his “Grand Canyon Theory.” You can tell people how big it is, show them pictures of how big it is, but until you actually put your eyes on it, you do not realize just how big it really is. To start with, Japan is roughly the size of California and has a population of 125 million. Thirty-eight million of those people live in the greater Tokyo area. It’s the largest metropolitan area in the world. Need more perspective? The next ... read more

Japanese spirits have come a long way over the last few years. Whether it's url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeout.com%2Ftokyo%2Fshopping%2Fbest-japanese-gin&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cb3717cc915e74448e29708dbf2cc6cf1%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638370732055017663%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Xw0WXZoF8n29XcHFyTglk3z7FEw7MV%2FavzuCRiOCaJ0%3D&reserved=0craft gin or a coveted bottle of url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeout.com%2Ftokyo%2Fbars-and-pubs%2Fthe-best-japanese-whiskies-you-can-still-buy&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cb3717cc915e74448e29708dbf2cc6cf1%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638370732055017663%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D... read more

Tredje och sista dagen i Tokyo. Det är ju helt omöjligt att få allt annat än ett snap-shot på denna enorma stad i detta på många vis stora land. Jag dök in i två områden och vad får jag med mig? Ska jag åka tillbaka eller räcker det med neonskyltar, pling-plongande överallt och en massa exhibitionister oxå överallt och en massa koder som är helt oförståeliga? Svaret är så klart ja - en kulturhistorisk skattkista jag bara sett genom en springa men jag tror ändå att det i så fall skulle bli lite mer än bara Tokyo för att få ett smakprov av det Japan som kanske inte är så superhajpat som de delar av Tokyo jag sett. När jag åkte till Japan hade jag en bucketlist som jag ville bocka av. Jag ville övernatta på ... read more