Tsurugajo Castle, Aizu-Wakamatsu City, is a must-visit for anyone visiting Tohoku this spring. Located just 2.5 hours from Tokyo, Aizu-Wakamatsu is an historic city which looks absolutely amazing in cherry blossom season. Tsurugajo Castle - originally constructed in the 14th century - has passed through the hands of many local rulers. The castle was mostContinue reading Cherry Blossom at Tsurugajo Castle
Hi everyone! The weather in Fukushima is slowly getting less freezing, which means 2 things… That Hanami season is drawing near!! That this year’s ski season is almost over! 😦 I’ve actually injured my wrist so haven’t been able to go skiing or snowboarding this year. That being so, I want to make sure anybodyContinue reading Half-Price Ski Passes & Snow Shoe Trekking?!
Back in October I was interviewed for a program called “Fukushima Then & Now, the Samurai Spirit”, which aired on NHK World as part of one of their J-Trip Plan shows in December. You can see the program online here! During the filming I was joined by Hoshi Kenko san. We visited the Tadami LineContinue reading Shooting the Tadami Line: Tips from Pro Photographer
I’m going to jump right into it: 6 Reasons to Go Skiing in Fukushima this winter! 1) Access from Tokyo Some of Fukushima main ski resorts can be reached in just 2.5 hours by train (shinkansen and local) & bus 2) Long Ski Season Being the third largest prefecture in Japan makes for a variedContinue reading 6 Reasons to Go Skiing in Fukushima (& Where to Go)
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a samurai-themed monitor tour from Tokyo to Aizu-Wakamatsu City! (Monitor tours are trial tours that are run in order to gain feedback about a tour that is in the process of being planned or made.) This Samurai Train Tour is supposed to take you on a journey fromContinue reading Samurai Train Tour
Hi everyone! This is the second post in this series about local culinary specialties from Fukushima Prefecture. Last week I wrote about rice-based dishes & side-dishes from Fukushima. This week, I’ll be writing about noodle dishes. Soba Negi-soba (Aizu Region) Although Fukushima Prefecture has many areas well-suited for rice-production, the rugged mountainous region of Aizu,Continue reading Local Delicacies from Fukushima: Noodle-Dishes
Sorry for the lack of new blog articles in recent weeks. Among other things, I went on a business trip to the UK to promote the samurai history and culture of Fukushima Prefecture, so unfortunately I haven’t had time to sit down and blog. Next week I’m actually going to get the chance to rideContinue reading Local Delicacies from Fukushima: Rice Dishes & Sides
Last week I visited Tsunoda Lacquer Art Workshop (角田漆芸工房) in Kitashiobara Village, Urabandai Area. There’s a huge variety of lacquerware products on display and for sale at Tsunoda san’s workshop - many of which Tsunoda san painted himself. The production of Aizu Lacquerware is the beautiful result of the hard work andContinue reading Tsunoda Lacquer Art Studio & Sunken Gold Painting Experience in Urabandai
I went to Lake Inawashiro last weekend for a BBQ with some friends, and was reminded of just how spectacularly beautiful Inawashiro area is - especially in the summer. Yesterday I travelled to Inawashiro Town and nearby Kitashiobara Village for work, so that I could check out some of the best places to visit inContinue reading Visiting Inawashiro in Summer
As I wrote about in my blog last week, the fascinating Aizu Tajima Gion Festival 2018 was held over the weekend, finishing up yesterday. This festival has so much history and really gives visitors a chance to feel like they are participating in a local Japanese festival, as opposed to just observing it. When IContinue reading Oku-Aizu Museum & Sannojaya Tea Room
