After deciding to return to the UK, we faced the stark reality that many things we did and places we visited next would be our last as residents of Japan. While we didn’t compile a ‘bucket list’, we did have a few select things we knew we couldn’t leave without doing one last time. 1….
Category: Life in Japan
Eating Lunch on Top of the World on My Birthday
It has taken a while for me to pick up the metaphorical pen and post some of our last adventures in Japan…moving halfway across the world isn’t easy! Anyway…now for the story of my birthday… November 2021 saw me turn 3-5. My birthday is never the easiest time of year, so I often seek out…
Holiday to Ito
In October, we took a MUCH NEEDED week-long break in Ito. Ito is an area of Japan I have had on my bucket list for some time to visit. It’s known for its dramatic coastlines and abundant nature. Oh, and the dormant volcano that looks like a mini Mount Fuji. Alas, I need to get…
Kawagoe and Train Museum
In September we spent a lovely weekend exploring the Saitama Train Museum, with a few days in the famous old city of Kawagoe. The museum was my birthday gift to Dan. It had been on the agenda for some time as Dan does love a good train, and I am partial to a bit of…
After A Hiatus…Happy Birthday Dan!
It has been another hiatus on the blogging front for the Hayman household…thesis writing, life planning, house moving, and graduation (with honours!), and Covid-19 jabs, have prevented me from picking up my blogging pen. I thought for this ‘come back blog’, like any good band, it needs to return with a strong opener. So, happy…
Turning 34 in Saitama
I turned 34 (in age, not mind) this year at an eco-lodge we’ve visited previously in Saitama. It’s up in the mountains and surrounded by bamboo. We’ve visited a few times because it’s peaceful, surrounded by nature, and, importantly, cheap! This year was a difficult birthday, the first to pass without hearing from my Dad….
Christmas 2019: The UK Chapter
This year finally had my winter holiday in the UK! This was the first time I had arrived back in the UK since I left in August 2016. My first observation, nothing much has changed – the motorway leaving Heathrow Airport quickly instructed us it was 50 miles an hour for the next 100 miles…yep,…
Takezawa, Saitama
For my birthday, I turned 25 for the 7th year in a row (I know, it’s a miracle…) Dan and I went to Takezawa in Saitama. Now, this was a trip I had very little hand in planning (alarm bells). So imagine my delight when we arrive in Takezawa area at the local train station…
One Year in Tokyo Town
1st August 2019 marks one year of living in Tokyo and three years of living in Japan. It is hard to believe how quickly and slowly the time has passed! Life in Tokyo has been full of energy, new experiences, bureaucratic challenges, and most significantly, change. The past year has marked some incredible and life…
Moving Again
At the end of June Dan and I got the exciting news that come August 28th, we would be doubling the size of our living quarters! This really is something special, as right now we live in a one room space, 17 squared metres in size. For a regular sized couple, as opposed to a…