I can’t say that I’ve been to many plays in the past, but when I think theater, I expect Shakespearean plotlines with a protagonist/antagonist combo, the changing of scenery, and large casts. GEAR, performed on the third floor of the Art Complex 1928 in Kyoto, had none of these elements. What I got instead was …
Continue reading “GEAR – A Modern Re-imagination of Japanese Theater”
One of the most subtly unique locations I’ve visited in Japan is a 21st floor bar in Chiba called The Manhattan. At first glance, the establishment is a run-of-the-mill expensive bar for cocktails and spirits, but as one sits and begins to really drink in the surroundings and decorations, it becomes much more interesting. The …
Continue reading “The Manhattan Bar: High Class Americana in Chiba”
My time in Japan thus far has been mostly spent in and around major metropolitan areas where the horizons all consist of giant buildings and monuments. It was refreshing to see another side of Japan on the island of Miyajima, where mountains and sea coast replace the skyscrapers I have been used to thus far. …
Continue reading “Miyajima: Nature and Elaborate Shinto Sites”
In my short time in Japan so far, I have come across two Shinto shrines. These places of worship can be found across Japan, but the one found next to Takeshita Street was particularly striking. A hundred meters away from the packed, bustling streets of shops and pedestrians, the atmosphere shifts dramatically. Suddenly, few …
Continue reading “A Serene Oasis Alongside the Chaos of Takeshita”
One feature of Tokyo that seems a little outlandish upon arrival is the constant presence of vending machines. Their purpose is pretty straightforward – you never need to look far to find a drink somewhere – but I find it a little bizarre nonetheless. Do the Japanese just value convenience or efficiency more than we …
The idea that a bakery could exist with limited selection of goods within Tokyo was at first a little lost on me. City real estate is typically outrageously expensive, and small bakeries are not generally known for generating a ton of money. Yet, in the quiet and somewhat secluded streets of Setagaya, a tiny little …
Culture in Japan