Aizu-Wakamatsu (Tohoku in Winter 1/5)

Aizu-Wakamatsu (Tohoku in Winter 1/5)

Our five day trip to Tohoku began with the sunrise over Tokyo’s skyline. Aizu-Wakamatsu checked all our boxes as a travel destination: called the Samurai city, the city was home to Samurai for a long time; until the Boshin war in 1848. We also looked forward to visiting Higashiyama Onsen, seeing the local crafts including lacquerware and of course the local cuisine and sake.

Winter vacation in Tohoku

Winter vacation in Tohoku

Happy 2024! Having transitioned into the New Year with Japanese customs, we began our 2024 with a vacation in the Tohoku region. Five prefectures in five days.

Season’s greetings

Season’s greetings

Season’s greetings! Today I want to introduce some of the Japanese Christmas celebrations and new year’s traditions.

An Earthquake on New Year’s Day

An Earthquake on New Year’s Day

On the afternoon of January 1st 2024 a strong earthquake occurred on the Japan Sea side of Japan. The strongest magnitude was recorded to be 7 in the Japanese scale with shaking being felt in the whole country.

Fall Colors in Kyoto

Fall Colors in Kyoto

In late November I had the chance to revisit Kyoto, a place I connect with many memories. Here is a list of scenic places I think have not been found by the typical Kyoto tourist yet.

Apartment hunting (Part 2)

Apartment hunting (Part 2)

We have great news! We could secure the apartment we hoped for and moved in last week. This means this series is already concluded after two posts. That was unexpected. To be honest, I was surprised that we were able

Apartment hunting (Part 1)

Apartment hunting (Part 1)

Our first week in Tokyo unfolded in a quite different way than all those times I came as a tourist. Instead of sightseeing, the most important task for us was to find an apartment to stay.

Touchdown in Tokyo

Touchdown in Tokyo

It’s time again to wake up the blog for extensive Japan coverage. This time, however, I’m neither alone nor traveling as a tourist. In fact, together with my partner, I am moving to Tokyo for 1-2 years.

Yodogawa Fireworks Festival

Yodogawa Fireworks Festival

If you think about Japan in Summer, isn’t fireworks the first thing that comes to mind? In 2022 most fireworks events were canceled because of pandemic-related concerns. All fireworks? No, one event was scheduled to be held and it even happened to be one in the Kansai area.

A different kind of aquarium in Kobe

A different kind of aquarium in Kobe

Kobe always draws me back after my first visit ten years ago. This time I visited the new „a to a“ aquarium in the harbor area, climbed up to Venus Bridge and strolled through the historic foreign house district of Kitano.