Off the beaten path in Ishikawa: the Hanibe Caves in Komatsu
When I lived in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, in 1997, one of the things I loved most was stumbling across places that made me think, "Only in Japan."
The Hanibe Caves definitely fall into that category.
Tucked away in the hills about 20 minutes from Komatsu Station, the caves are one of the strangest and most memorable attractions I've visited in Japan. Before you even enter, you're greeted by a giant Buddha head emerging from the hillside. It looks like it could wake up at any moment and go battle Godzilla.
Inside, things get even more interesting.
Read more by clicking on the link.
Off the beaten path in Yokohama: The Foreign General Cemetery and a stroll through Motomachi
Since it's Obon season in Japan, a time when many families visit ancestral graves and remember those who came before them, I thought I'd share one of the more unusual places I've enjoyed visiting in Yokohama.
Most people head to Yokohama for the waterfront, Chinatown, or the shops and restaurants. But tucked away on a hillside overlooking the harbor is the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery, one of the most interesting pieces of international history you'll find in Japan.
Read more by clicking on the link.
Bonsai bandits at Lake Merritt
One of the joys of living in the Bay Area is discovering random Japan connections close to home.
Last week, I joined a guided tour of the Oakland Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt. The tour was organized by AARP, which admittedly made me feel about 20 years younger than the average participant, but it was a lot of fun. And although the garden is only a short drive away, I took BART because every adventure sounds more legitimate if a train is involved.
If you've never been, it's a lovely spot. A small oasis in Oakland filled with bonsai trees that have been patiently shaped and cared for over decades. In some cases, over a century.
Read more by clicking on the link.
Never judge a Japanese drama by its English title
I have a confession: I'm incredibly picky when it comes to Japanese dramas.
Every now and then I try a new one because everyone is talking about it, only to lose interest a few episodes in. One reason is that I often struggle with the acting style. Compared to many Western dramas, Japanese dramas can sometimes feel a bit overacted to me, with exaggerated expressions and larger-than-life characters. I know that's part of the charm for many viewers, but it isn't usually my thing.
So when my husband introduced me to Maison Prison a few days ago, I wasn't expecting much.
Fast forward to this week, and we've been binge-watching it every evening.
Read more by clicking on the link.
Beating the heat in Japan, literally
Whenever people talk about summer in Japan, the first thing they mention is usually the heat. And fair enough. Japanese summers are not subtle. The air feels thick, shirts stick to your back within seconds, and even the cicadas seem to be screaming about the temperature.
But what I always loved was how communities seemed to have developed hundreds of little ways to make summer not just bearable, but enjoyable.
When I lived in Yamanouchi, a neighborhood in Kita-Kamakura tucked between temples, forests, and narrow winding roads, one of my favorite signs that summer had truly arrived was hearing drums in the distance. Eventually, a tiny truck would emerge from somewhere in the greenery, carrying musicians and festival lanterns, somehow navigating roads that looked barely wide enough for the truck itself.
To this day, I have no idea how they managed some of those corners.
Read more by clicking on the link.
Tokyo landmarks: The “Giant Golden Poop” in Asakusa
I love that this is one of those classic Japan moments where something is supposed to be very profound and artistic, but an entire nation has quietly agreed on a completely different interpretation.
Walking through Asakusa, it is impossible to miss the giant golden object perched on top of the black building across the Sumida River. Officially, it is called the "Flamme d'Or" or Golden Flame, and it was designed by French designer Philippe Starck as part of the Asahi Beer headquarters complex. The flame is meant to represent the burning heart of Asahi's brewing spirit.
Which is a lovely idea.
Unfortunately, to many people, including me, it looks much less like a blazing flame and much more like something a very large golden dog may have left behind.
Read more by clicking on the link.
Tokyo landmarks: The Dark Tower of Otemachi
For years I walked past this building and never once understood it.
It sits there in Otemachi surrounded by glass towers trying very hard to look modern, and then there’s this thing. Solid, ribbed concrete, barely any windows, just kind of looming like it knows something the rest of us don’t. I always thought it looked completely out of place, like it had been dropped in from a different version of Tokyo.
In my head I called it the Dark Tower. It felt like the kind of place where something important was happening, but no one was supposed to ask questions. Not a normal office, not a hotel, definitely not somewhere you casually walk into.
Read more by clicking on the link.
250 years of US history, seen from Japan
The United States turns 250 this year, which sounds both very old and somehow still quite young at the same time.
What I always find interesting, living in Japan, is how that timeline overlaps in slightly unexpected ways.
When the US was founded in 1776, Japan was deep in the Edo period. Closed off, stable, and not particularly interested in what was happening across the ocean. For a while, the two countries mostly existed side by side.
And then Commodore Perry showed up in 1853.
Black ships, a very direct request to open up, and suddenly things moved quickly. What followed was not just the opening of Japan, but the beginning of a relationship that has evolved into something that now feels completely normal.
That is the part that still surprises me.
Read more by clicking on the link.