Writer: Lucy Morrell

Lucy Morrell

Lucy Morrell is a Canadian-born Australian living in Central Hokkaido. She is a former newspaper reporter and public relations worker with a strong interest in social media. Lucy lives with her husband John, who has guided skiers and cyclists in Japan since the 1980s, and their daughter Grace, who attends Furano Elementary School. Lucy works for her local tourism association helping English speakers to discover the extraordinary Furano-Biei region.

Fukiage onsen makes the best soak for free!

Fukiage onsen makes the best soak for free!

Experience ‘hadaka no tsukiai' at Fukiage onsen - where locals mix with tourists in a natural onsen under the trees. Too shy for a soak? Just walk down and dip a toe in these magical waters. Soaking in Fukiage costs nothing and will enrich your skin with minerals and your mind with memories.

MountainOnsenHokkaido

Lucy Morrell

November 11, 2016

Don't Knock Omucurry Until You've Tried It

Don't Knock Omucurry Until You've Tried It

The town of Furano has a rather unlikely local dish. It doesn’t use special ingredients found only in the wilds of Central Hokkaido. In fact, it doesn’t use many ingredients that are considered typically Japanese. It uses eggs and a sauce that will always have well-guarded secret ingredients. The local dish of Furano is called omucurry, short for omelette curry (Japanese language often uses portmanteaus especially for English words), and you can find it in dozens of restaurants.

Food & DrinkHokkaido

Lucy Morrell

June 29, 2016

Making Udon Noodles is Child's Play

Making Udon Noodles is Child's Play

Sensei Awesome, which is the nickname we have given my daughter’s teacher, invited the parents to come for a day of udon noodle making at school. Kids and their parents were given the opportunity to make hand-made udon noodles and they were fabulous!

NoodlesFurano

Lucy Morrell

May 20, 2016

Dietary Restrictions in Japan

Dietary Restrictions in Japan

In Japan it is usually not apparent which foods are gluten free, lactose free, vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, or otherwise suited to a restricted diet. I recently spoke with three visitors who each approached this challenge differently.

Food & DrinkAll Japan

Lucy Morrell

May 16, 2016

Pedal Your Way Around Furano

Pedal Your Way Around Furano

In Furano, bike riding is a fantastic way to explore and has a good value at 200 yen per hour. Because Furano has rich and delicious food at many attractions, bike riding is also a good way to sample local delights without adding to your waistline. In Japan, helmets are not compulsory for adults so if you prefer to wear one, bring it along.

ScenerySportsFurano

Lucy Morrell

May 9, 2016

Rubbish and Recycling in Japan

Rubbish and Recycling in Japan

In our family, we adhere to seven categories of waste disposal on a daily basis. This may sound impressive but actually, there are twenty-plus categories where we live. In the kitchen, we have a nama gomi bucket for compost. All cooking and food scraps go here, including coffee grinds and the flotsam I strain out of my sink.

CultureAll Japan

Lucy Morrell

April 20, 2016