I was recently featured in a video produced by Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau’s Disaster Recovery Support Office. They decided to produce a set of 3 videos exploring some issues related to post-disaster recovery & revitalization in Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture & Fukushima Prefecture. These videos all have English subtitles and some interviews are conducted inContinue reading Video Feature: “Never Forget You”
Hi everyone! This is the third post in this series about local culinary specialities from Fukushima Prefecture. This week, I’ll be writing about some dishes that might not necessarily come to mind when you think of Japanese food. That being said, for people like me who have been in Japan for a while now, it’sContinue reading Local Delicacies from Fukushima: Weird & Wonderful
The hot, humid days have suddenly become cooler, and it’s getting darker earlier every day, which means one thing and one thing only… autumn is here! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the seasons change over in Fukushima. This year, I’m hoping to take advantage of the beautiful red and yellow autumn leavesContinue reading Short Autumn Hike Along Natsuigawa Valley
When I visited Okuaizu the other day, I saw lots of beautiful ‘fringed irises’. I’m not particularly knowledgeable about flowers, but I’m pretty sure I’d never seen these flowers before coming to Japan. Seeing them in Okuaizu instantly reminded me a photograph I saw when I first moved to Fukushima Prefecture. At that time, IContinue reading Fringed Irises at Kozoji Temple in Iwaki
The Shoko Kanazawa Art Museum in Iwaki City is home to many fantastic pieces of calligraphy created by Shoko Kanazawa, an artist who was born with Down syndrome. The art museum shares its location with a kimono museum called Kimononoyakata Marusan (which contains the world’s largest kimono!) and a beautiful garden inspired by the traditionalContinue reading Shoko Kanazawa Calligraphy Art Museum in Iwaki
Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum is one of my favourite places to visit when I’m in Iwaki Yumoto Onsen, Fukushima. I don’t think enough people know about this awesome little museum, so I wanted to write a blog article about it. What Makes Horuru a Great Place to Visit? 1.) Dinosaurs. Although Fukui hands-downContinue reading Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum Guide
Although I have lived in Fukushima for 1.5 years now, I am constantly finding new places that I want to visit or festivals I want to go to. So I decided to write a bucket list of things to try out in Fukushima during the winter months! (This list includes a couple of places IContinue reading Ideas for Winter Trips in Fukushima
Shiramizu Amida-do is a beautiful, historic Buddhist temple in a serene and peaceful garden. For those planning a trip to Iwaki or Northern Ibaraki, it is a great place to add to your itinerary! What is an Amida-do? An Amida-do is a temple dedicated to the Buddha referred to as Amida Buddha. If you don’tContinue reading Shiramizu Amida-do Temple in Iwaki
Aquamarine Fukushima is a fun, thought-provoking aquarium and research centre in Iwaki. Aquamarine Fukushima educates visitors about the marine animals and ecosystems found in oceans, rivers, streams, seashores, and even rice paddies, through a wide range of displays. From ‘living fossils’ - ocean creatures whose genes have hardly changed since ancient times – to recentlyContinue reading Aquamarine Fukushima
Matsugaoka Park, Iwaki, is a large, family-friendly park which manages to balance modern life with its old roots. The park is well-known by locals as a great place for flower-viewing in springtime, not only for its cherry blossom, but also for its azalea! During the peak season of early April to mid-May, the park drawsContinue reading Matsugaoka Park’s Cherry Blossom Festival
