In March 2020 mum visited us in Japan. It was her first trip to Japan, and I wanted to make it one to remember! Mum’s visit was part of our spring break plans in 2020; a couple of weeks jam-packed with mini-breaks and enjoyable hikes. We had six days together with mum and I wanted…
Tag: Tokyo
New Home, Brave New World
My posts have been lacking of late. This has not been because of a lack of care or concern for Our Japan Story, but rather because of the start of a brave new chapter in our, frankly wonderful, life in Japan. When Dan and I made the decision to move to Japan in August 2016,…
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…
Our First City Onsen
Dan and I used to go to the onsen quite frequently when we lived in the Japanese countryside. An onsen is the name of a Japanese hot spring bath, and it is a popular way to unwind and relax. It is a communal bathing experience, so only for those who feel comfortable with this. There…
Golden Week 2019: Waterfalls, New Friends, and Animals
After our big hike on the Monday of Golden Week, Dan and I decided to chill for the rest of the week. This was partially encouraged by the very typical bank holiday weather – the world over it seems to rain on bank holidays – but also because we truly had exhausted ourselves with the…
Ten Days, Ten Tokyo Universities
The new academic year has started in Japan, and with it brings a new job for me. This term, I am going to be working in a Women’s University in Tokyo, supporting women to communicate in English and understand more about global cultures. My new university says that it aims to create global women (it…
Tama Zoo, Tokyo
Dan and I love a zoo. That much is known. We recently discovered Tama Zoo, about one hour West of central Tokyo. It is set in hilly grounds and has a wide range of animals, including an excessive amount of Giraffes (there were about 15!). You can explore the zoo on foot, and walk about…
Promoting Peace
Several years ago I was introduced to Rotary International through the Rotary Peace Fellowship. The Rotary Peace Fellowship is the chance for peace-builders from around the world to obtain an MA in Peace Studies at a Peace Centre university (there are six around the world) after a rigorous two year programme. The more I learned…
Team LAB Tokyo: Planets
In August last year we visited the Team Lab art exhibition in Tokyo. It was beautiful and immersive and wonderful on so many levels. And so, with news my sister and her family were coming to town, I booked tickets to the Team Lab second show in Tokyo: Planets. It was billed as an immersive…
Life Plans!
The temporary experience of living in Tokyo that Dan and I signed up to in August 2018 just got moderatly more than temporary. By December 2018 we knew we wanted to spend a little more time living in this epic city as we had barely scratched the surface of our local area, let alone the…