Bears and eel chips

Shogun Ieyasu was a canny chap.  When he became Shogun in 1603 he forced all the great lords to spend every second year with him in Edo, or Tokyo as it is now.  This meant that they spent huge amounts of time and money travelling with their vast retinues along the road between Kyoto and… Continue reading Bears and eel chips

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Investigating the Nagoya food scene

Every country has its own love-it-or-hate-it foodstuff.  In England it’s Marmite, in Malaysia it’s Durian, and in Japan the polarizing comestible is called natto.  It’s made from fermented soya beans and, according to Wikipedia, ‘is an acquired taste  because of its powerful smell, strong flavor and slimy, sticky texture.’ After coping with the smell of… Continue reading Investigating the Nagoya food scene

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Tokyo food tours

I’ve come to appreciate, during my travels, that signing up for a food tour in a new place pays back dividends.  The guide takes you to all sorts of wonderful hidden-away spots, explains the whole food scene and generally equips you with enough know-how to go solo afterwards.  So when I got to Tokyo I… Continue reading Tokyo food tours

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The dawn of a new era

The new Emperor of Japan ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne today which signalled the first day of a new era.  Whilst they do use the year 2019, they also use their own system based on the number of years the Emperor has been on the throne.  When I got my ID card, I was surprised to… Continue reading The dawn of a new era

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The obedience of rain

  In Japan, if the weather forecast says it’s going to rain, then it rains, and if the forecast says it won’t rain, then it doesn’t. Having spent time in both Norfolk and Malaysia, where it rains if it feels like it, and nobody has any idea what the weather will be like in five… Continue reading The obedience of rain

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My new favourite city – Kyoto

I’ve had three weekends in Japan so far, and have chosen to spend two of them in Kyoto;  I absolutely adore it there.  Everything is exquisite – the temples, the gardens, the little streets with wooden houses, the little waterways lined with cherry trees, the tiny craft studios and cafes – it has to be… Continue reading My new favourite city – Kyoto

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Getting into hot water

One of the strangest things about North Island is suddenly coming across a patch of ground that’s smoking – or hearing a glooping and plopping noise coming from a muddy puddle, which is bubbling away happily all by itself. The volcanic hot springs are wonderful.  You can either pay to go to the pools –… Continue reading Getting into hot water

Hobbits

Hobbiton was at the top of my list for NZ North Island. Having seen lots of countryside locations where Lord of the Rings had been filmed, I was now keen to see something that had been built especially for the film. Hobbiton is big business, with 3,000 people a day visiting in peak season.  Although,… Continue reading Hobbits

Mad museums on South Island

I have to say that some of the strangest museums I’ve been to are here in New Zealand. They have the world’s only steampunk museum on South Island, with some very unusual displays … sort of Dr Who meets Narnia in Steptoe’s yard – But the descriptions were the highlight for me. This – if… Continue reading Mad museums on South Island

Albatrosses and Orcs

We landed in New Zealand at Christchurch, and the temperature was 32 degrees.  We just accepted it, having become used to Malaysian and Australian weather – but it turned out to be a fluke, and as we drove south to Dunedin the temperature dropped by more than 20 degrees, until it was just ten above… Continue reading Albatrosses and Orcs

Doing shots in Tasmania

This is a shot – Tassie style – It’s an oyster shot – – sake with wasabi, pickled ginger and a plump, fresh Tasmanian oyster … delicious! The seafood here is so good – – I devoured these six scallops cooked with brioche crumbs and herbs in about three minutes, in a little restaurant on… Continue reading Doing shots in Tasmania

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Melbourne: trees in skirts

Having spent a few days in Melbourne, I feel just that little bit hipper and cooler.  I’ve been hanging out in bars with uber-cool names like … which has a series of unusual collages on the walls – And Melbourne’s the sort of city where you can get a Shiatsu massage in the market –… Continue reading Melbourne: trees in skirts

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