28 September 2025
Today, we again travel by coach: direction northeast 190 miles to Yudanaka. Distance doesn’t amount to much but the slow, busy roads take most of our day.
Once we arrive, we will visit a hot spring village far less famous for its hot baths than for the monkeys who have usurped them.
(more…)27 September 2025
I depart the massive, bustling megatropolis of Tokyo. I won’t complain, as my destination for the day includes another icon of Japan: Mt. Fuji. I’ve jetted past the mountain in the past, enjoying spectacular views of snow-capped peaks. Hopefully, the view will be as clear from the ground.
After a breakfast, we board a comfortable bus. Our destination, some 50 miles southwest, is the city of Hakone.
(more…)26 September 2025
Om Mani Padme Hum
Buddha give me serenity and patience
Carrying my backpack, I walk to a new hotel, bracing myself to join a tour group. It feels a bit like handing over my freedom at the front desk. For two glorious days, I’ve wandered at will— strolling gardens, decoding menus and train signs, and chasing Godzilla.
Now, I’ll swap independence for a local guide arranging logistics and doing headcounts. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ready for the fun, but I can’t help wondering if I’ll be the lone Godzilla nerd in a sea of temple and teacup enthusiasts
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25 September 2025
I can’t believe that Godzilla was the last of his species. If nuclear testing continues, then someday, somewhere in the world, another Godzilla may appear.
Godzilla, King of the Monsters
Unfortunately, Dr. Yamane’s quote from the 1954 epic Godzilla concerns me less about the return of giant atomic monsters than about the current political world of the USA. With my morning coffee and Tokyo Tower view, I plan my day.
(more…)24 September 2025
I’ve read that there are no fewer than eighteen ways to say “hello” in Japanese, which means I’m visiting Japan eighteen steps behind. When I learned the Russian alphabet, at least I could puzzle out the words on a sign—even if I couldn’t pronounce a single one correctly. Japanese, however, covers a whole different universe. Then, add the usage of Chinese characters alongside Japanese characters. Q
I don’t have the faintest clue what the characters mean, let alone how to say them. So for now, my linguistic arsenal in Tokyo consists of a polite bow, “konnichiwa,” and smile—which, I hope, is one of those eighteen greetings.
(more…)23 September 2025
The last time I visited Tokyo, I never actually made it past Narita Airport and a nearby luxury hotel—an unplanned overnight courtesy of United Airlines. My grand cultural immersion consisted mostly of jet lag, a soft robe, and the gleaming marvel of Japanese engineering: the smart toilet. With more buttons than a cockpit and a heated seat that felt like a first-class upgrade, it left a lasting impression. So, this time, flying back to Tokyo for real, I’m venturing beyond an airport and hotel bathroom, ready to discover the city that invented such everyday genius.
(more…)30-31 May 2025
We laze in charming Würzburg as long as possible. Temperature reaches mid-seventies and the sun is blasting. However, sadly, we must board an ICE direct train from the Hbf to Frankfurt’s Airport. It is over an hour delayed, proving the Germans right in their complaints about their trains.
However, once onboard, our trip is smooth and speedy. We arrive into the airport, practically beneath our hotel the Hilton Garden, within less than 2 hours. Just enough time to choose our “favorites or not-so-much list.”
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