The Three Mouseketeers 7-7-2019 Today is a very special day in Japan. Not only is 7 a lucky number, but July 7 is the festival of Tanabata, an ancient story in which two star-crossed lovers (each existing in a different galaxy) get to be together just for the day. It’s a national celebration going back …
Category Archives: Japan
Aizu Spartan Sprint, Tsuruga-Jō
Prologue I always feel amped up before a race. Like the others around me at the starting line, I’ve spent the past few days visualizing the experience – how I’ll be centered and in the zone, how it will feel to run without limits, how I’ll not feel fear. Its imagining freedom, really. Then the …
Aizuwakamatsu, Fukishima
The medieval fortress, Tsuruga-Jō Today we parted ways and I left my loves in the care of Kyoto, while I hopped the rails and tracked northbound, destined for Fukushima Prefecture, specifically Aizuwakamatsu, and to put a finer point on it, Tsuruga-jō. My destiny awaits in the form of an East Asia Series Spartan Race which …
A Day in Kyoto: the Imperial Jog, Tea Ceremony, Bento Boxes, Nishiki Market and the Great Quest
Our gracious hosts, honoring us with a ritual Tea Ceremony It was a day full of surprises and fun misadventures… The Imperial Jog As we were around the corner from the Imperial Palace, I decided to scout it out with an early morning run. Situated in a large park, the actual palace hid behind a …
Happy Shrine-y People, Kyoto
“Stasia, where’s the coffee?””I thought you were going to pack it!” Our second day in Kyoto began the way they all have this whole trip – Stasia and I greeting the new day with copious cups of coffee, courtesy of Starbucks instant French Roast. Those little Via packs are a lifesaver! Coffee was the one …
Tokyo, Kyoto and the Bullet that Brought Them Together
Where the locals go to get their dharma on in Prince Park, Tokyo Preamble-ulations Sometimes I just wake up at 3am and I know I won’t get back to sleep. I don’t fight it anymore or get concerned about the day. I like to think that relaxing in bed in the dark counts for something. …
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Tokyo, Day 2: Meguro River, Digital Arts Museum, Eriko the Retsujo, Sushi Bonanza, Zephyr does Koushinkai, Meal in a Microscope
Imagination Injection at the Digital Arts Museum. Our second day in Tokyo was another action-packed adventure starting with a sunrise river run and finally crescendoing in a local dojo with a 2 hour high-energy Koushinkai session. The Morning of the Rising Sun The alarm goes off – 4:45… what was I thinking? Oh yeah, a …
Shibuya District, Tokyo
Shibuya, the shopping megalopolis of Tokyo prefecture – the one place on earth you don’t go to if you’re seeking solitude. First impressions There are certain areas of a country where cultural nuances are most pronounced. Shibuya, with its bustling street walks, busy intersections and pedestrian predominance never gave way into disorder, impatience or frustration. …
Hotel Gajoen, Tokyo
The founding animator of Studio Ghibli (Hiyao Miyazaki) credits the Hotel Gajoen for heavily influencing his artistic style. A national heritage landmark, the hotel is a monument to the early Japanese Art Deco movement. We are lovers of Miyazaki’s art – and Ghibli’s films in general – so Stasia booked us a couple nights in …
The Itinerant Three TnTs 