My favourite moment of our long weekend away to Kagoshima was sitting in a Lawson’s cafe (convenience store) overlooking Mount Sakurajima, which is a large active volcano. Talk turned to volcanoes and fiery deaths. Dan picked up his phone and typed ‘most active volcano in Japan’. The answer: Sakurajima. He looks at me, slightly pale,…
Setsubun
Setsubun, the day before Japan welcomes spring, and a chance to banish demons and wish for good luck in the coming year. This year we celebrated (for the first time) with our friends at our local shrine in Ayaragi. To ensure good luck for the year, any new years eve decorations need to be burned…
Tsunoshima and Goodbyes
In January we took a trip up to the Tsunoshima bridge and island. The trip was our last (for now!) with the lovely Lauren, who is moving back to Hawaii to pursue her career goals of becoming a flight attendant. Lauren’s dedication to seeing as much as possible and Instagram photos has led to some…
Onsens – Keeping Warm in Winter
Onsens are a big part of the Japanese lifestyle and a great way to keep warm in the cold Japanese winters. They are popular throughout Japan, which has its fair share of natural hot springs because it sits on a fault line. However, for those who are not experienced in the onsen, they are a…
Akiyoshidi Winter Wonderland
To fight those January blues we have been trip planning. It is certain death for the savings, but for the life experience, totally worth it! Before we depart Yamaguchi Prefecture in July, we have decided to check out some of its hot tourist destinations. The first on the list…Akiyoshidi Plateau and Cave. We decided on…
Family and Friends Fun in Paris – Photos
The winter break 2017 was spent in beautiful Paris. What an amazing city! Paris evokes romance at every turn, with its incredible architecture and relaxed vibes. We enjoyed five days of Parisian delights, which we shared with our family and friends. Thanks all for coming to see us and here are some pictures of our…
Christmas Crackers
Christmas 2017 was spent in Europe. Dan flew back to the UK to spend it at his mums and I took the train to Limoges in France to spend it at my sister (Katie) and her husband (Steve’s) house. I had a Christmas to remember in a very sleepy French village, staying in their beautiful…
New Year’s Eve
This New Year’s Eve we were privileged to welcome 2018 in at the Champs Elysee fireworks and party. We counted down the final moments of 2017 in a crowd of thousands, and then with Jamie and Rachel we enjoyed celebratory coffee eclairs. It seems like a strange choice, but at midnight on that cold and…
Brief Reversed Culture Shock
On our winter holiday Dan and I experienced, briefly, reverse culture shock. We have become accustomed to life in Japan, with its immaculate streets, low crime rate, quiet people, and peaceful public transport. In contrast, Paris was loud, smelly, dirty, and full of wild glorious life! A few days in and I was loving it,…
Narita Airport Horror Story
This winter holiday we visited our families and spent New Year’s Eve in Paris. It was the perfect winter trip in the most beautiful city! More to come on that… However, the story of our trip does not start there. This first blog installment is about the journey, and what a journey it was! At…