Japan always has an unusual little trick up its sleeves and I love it. Food ticket machines are part of that. You’ll occasionally come upon a restaurant with a ticket vending machine near the entrance. It can be outside or…
There’s something beautiful about Gion’s alleyways in the late afternoon’s golden light. Its beauty, its tranquility, its history, its culture and its people all come together to form a unique experience.
Founded in 593, Shitennoji is Japan’s oldest official Buddhist temple. Located in Osaka, this temple is not particularly grandiose and does not really stand out from all the other temples and shrines so that’s why I opted for this particular…
Today you ate what has to be the best bowl of shoyu ramen of your life so far. You ordered it from a vending machine outside the ramen place. It was handed to you by someone hidden behind a drop-down…
When asked about Japanese cuisine, most people think of sushi. Me on the other hand, I think of ramen. For those of you unfamiliar with ramen, it’s a dish made with noodles in a meat/fish based broth. It’s most often…
There are a lot of places around the world where it just doesn’t feel right to be out on the streets after sunset. You probably know some of those places. Japan however, is at the extreme opposite of that. The…
Osaka. You are the city that welcomed me to Japan on my first visit and you are also part of the reason I came back twice more. Here’s glimpse of our first time together. This is but the beginning of…
I first learned about Hozenji Yokocho whilst watching YouTube videos about Osaka before my first trip to Japan. I instantly knew it was going to be one of my favorite places in Osaka and sure enough, it was. In Japanese,…
Like most other Asian countries, Japan does not really do “continental breakfast” so don’t expect to be dining on eggs, bacon & toast in the morning. Most food venues that will be open in the early hours of the day…