When Japanese Sweet Meets Western Ingredients: Siberia Cake
The cake is not always cut in this triangle shape, but always features the same ingredients: yokan and castella.
January 19, 2018
Writer: Teina-Tokyo
Thank you. My name is Tina. I am I have been living in Tokyo, Japan for 7 years. Blogging had been my hobby since then. I hope to provide you with both useful and enjoyable articles. Feel free to follow my Instagram visuals.
Philatelic Museum in Mejiro: A Stamp Collectors Paradise
The Japanese name of the museum is Kitte no Hakubutsukan 切手の博物館, as a postage stamp is called “kitte” (切手) in Japanese. The museum is also the office of the Japan Philatelic Society (established in 1946) and its affiliated organizations.
November 11, 2017
A Guide to Vintage Shopping in Tokyo
At most, when it comes to vintage shopping, it all comes to deciding on two precious resources: time and money.
August 10, 2017
Top Things to See & Do in Ikebukuro, Tokyo
Originally, Ikebukuro was called Sugamo, and hosted various artists and foreign workers. Now, Ikebukuro is the one of the busiest train stations in Tokyo, and the world.
July 22, 2017
Japan's Indian & Nepalese Curry Restaurants: A Dish You Must Try
Especially if you are vegetarian, Indian and Nepalese curry shops in Japan are something you must try. They are all over the country!
June 1, 2017
How to Bowl in Osaka: My Experience at Round 1
Bowling in Japanese is boringu (ボウリング), which can be easily confused with “boring”（ボーリング). I had never bowled before, but many people like spending their evenings bowling, so it must not be that boring. I had to try it out!
September 7, 2016
Japan vs. America: How Different are the Starbucks?
The famous coffee chain Starbucks was found in 1971. As of June 2015, the company has 22,519 shops around the world. 1165 of those shops are in Japan (data from December 2015). Starbucks arrived to Japan in 1995, but has already gained a great amount of popularity due to Japanese people's obsession with the magic bean drink. People call it shortly スタバ (sutaba) and make it the country’s largest coffee chain, due to the combination of energizing coffee, variety, and excellent market skills.
September 2, 2016
Disposing of Old Stuff in Tokyo
It is true that we tend to accumulate stuff in our houses. And knowing how tiny houses are in Japan, this can become a problem. That is when disposing of unneeded items takes place.
August 24, 2016
Gotokuji: The Lucky Cat Temple
If there is one thing Japan is often associated with abroad, it must be a cat. But not just any cat: the little waving cat called maneki neko. Usually, at a shop’s entrance there are figures of cat with a raised paw, which is said to attract good fortune. Some cat figures are automatic lifting and lowering the paws non-stop.
August 5, 2016
Stray Animals in Japan
I met my first stray cat when I went jogging in Japan. There are many domestic cats walking around (so far I have never seen a stray dog here), but strays always look different and give me different looks. That skinny cat I met had white fur, with lots of dirty stains and even some blood ones. Luckily, I could see him/her again when I went to the same spot again.
July 25, 2016
Vending Machines: Why so Many?
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “vending machine” was first used circa 1895. It is defined as “a coin-operated machine for selling merchandise.” Although there are references to the coin-operated machines all the way back in the first century AD, the first modern vending machines were invented in 1880s, dispensing postcards and envelopes.
July 7, 2016
Eating Vegetarian in Kyoto and Osaka
Japan is famous for its food. It was even recognized as the UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Yet, when it comes to vegetarian, options can seem rather scarce. Recently we visited Kyoto and Osaka for sightseeing and had to find something we could eat, both meat-free and delicious.
June 25, 2016
Going to movies in Tokyo
Tokyo is a very diverse city with uncountable sightseeing destinations. Yet when it’s raining and cold outside, you might prefer something indoors. If shopping and dining have already showed you everything you wanted to try, then perhaps you would like to visit the local movie theaters. Especially if you are in Shinjuku and Godzilla is waiting for you right by the building of the Toho cinemas.
June 18, 2016
UFO Catchers in Japan
Crane games are very popular in Japan. They are called UFO catchers and are usually located in arcades and amusement parks with different kinds of prizes. And no, they are not actual UFO, as in space ships, but they are much fun.
June 13, 2016
Oiran Procession in Asakusa, When You're in a Hurry
Who are oiran? According to Wikipedia, the word originates from the Japanese phrase "oira no tokoro no nēsan", which translates into "my elder sister." The kanji characters are 花 meaning "flower" and 魁 meaning "leader" or "first". They were high-class courtesans that possessed entertainer’s skills, such as playing musical instruments, arranging ikebana, performing tea ceremonies, etc.
April 27, 2016
Narita: Not Only Airport But Eel
One of the specifics of Narita city is its cuisine. There is no doubt about the diversity of Japanese dishes, of course. If you are okay with fish, you might want to try unagi (鰻). Unagi in Japanese is eel.
ArchitectureJapanese CuisineTraditionChiba
April 6, 2016
How to Choose the Best Sakura Spots for Photography
The special beauty of the sakura season is its short length: trees bloom for a week or so depending on the weather, then the petals fall like snow and collect at the ground, and then vanish back into the earth. But of course, this fleeting beauty is captured forever with cameras of all kinds.
ArchitectureFestivalsNatureParksSceneryTraditionAll Japan
April 5, 2016
Urbexing in Tokyo: The Nakagin Capsule Tower
For some traveling is not always about comfort. I’m not talking about physical comfort, but the “sightseeing” spots list. For many urbex is not an uncommon thing at all. “Urban exploration is the examination of off-limits or seldom seen parts of man-made structures.
March 11, 2016
