Impressions of daily life in Japan
I travelled in Japan during March and April of 2020. Yes, you read that right, during the first few months of the Coronavirus pandemic. I hadn't planned for it but events caught up with me. It turned out to be a very interesting experience. I will gladly share my story with you. Rewind to December... Continue Reading →
Kyoto is famous for kaiseki cuisine. Kaiseki is an exquisite multi-course meal. It can even be considered as an art form, where one tries to balance the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food. It goes without saying that only fresh, seasonal ingredients are used. The dishes are served in carefully selected bowls and plates,... Continue Reading →
When walking around in Kyoto, foreign tourists will often be very excited when they spot 'a real-life Japanese geisha'! Indeed when walking around the area near Kiyomizu-dera temple, one often sees groups of young girls dressed in bright kimonos. What most tourists probably don't know is that these girls are not geisha, but dressed-up tourists... Continue Reading →
It's over a year ago since the big earthquake and the ensuing tsunami took place in Japan. But even now I regularly keep seeing 'Ganbarou Nippon' flags en logo's everywhere. 'Ganbarou Nippon' (がんばろう日本) means 'Do your best, Japan' or 'Let's go, Japan'. Following the March 11th quake and tsunami, the 'ganbarou nippon' campaign was launched.... Continue Reading →
The Japans 