Sponsored Post Hayao Miyazaki’s critically acclaimed “My Neighbor Totoro” screens on Sunday, July 10 at 3 p.m.. Attention otaku and anime fans! Starting this Friday, you can see the best of renowned storyteller Hayao Miyazaki’s animations during Hawaii Theatre Center’s…
I’m 75 percent Okinawan, but I’d never been to the motherland. So when my full-Okinawan grandma wanted to make one last pilgrimage with my family before traveling became too hard for her, I jumped at the chance. Okinawa turned out…
Driving from Sandy Beach to the top to Hanauma Bay takes your breath away. So does running from Sandy Beach to the top of Hanauma Bay. Well, running and walking, in my case. But not for the views. I’m talking…
“Kawaii” is the Japanese term for cute, and the kawaii culture has been slowly seeping into the States for years. Just look at Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls or LeSportSac’s Tokidoki bags and you’ll have a good idea of what passes…
After multiple homestay exchanges in Japan, I became a big fan of KitKats. Did you know there have been over 200 flavors released in Japan since 2000? By comparison, the basic varieties in America are boring — milk, dark and…
What the heck is miso-tchup? Until we attended the Japanese Food Trade Fair at the Japanese Cultural Center on a recent weekday, we didn’t know either. Now that we do know, we. must. have. miso-tchup. Except it’s not available in…
I know, this blog post is pretty delayed, sorry! I had to finish my Japan adventures before I could start on my new one. Run! Godzilla overlooking Hotel Gracery Shinjuku. The rooms looking at his face are sold out. I…
Everyone has heard of Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, the largest fish market of its kind, with rows and rows of vendors selling the freshest catch of the day in every form. There are rules. They are tired of tourists. You…
Deb’s route took us north toward the coast, to Hitachinaka. Yes, Hitachi brand is the primary employer in this area, so pretty much everything bears its name. These towns are cute, but really small, so it was appropriate that I…
John Lennon, Yoko Ono and their son Sean. One of our main destinations in our trek outside of Tokyo was the upscale resort town of Karuizawa, but unfortunately it rained most of the time we were there, so I didn’t…
If you randomly look at Kobuchizawa on a map, you may wonder why people would ever peg it as a destination. It’s kind of on the road to the middle of nowhere and it doesn’t seem like there’s much around…
Photo provided by Anime Matsuri. Photo provided by Anime Matsuri. Photo provided by Anime Matsuri. Photo provided by Anime Matsuri. Photo provided by Anime Matsuri. Photo provided by Anime Matsuri. Photo provided by Anime…
You know it’s a nice day in Tokyo when you can see Mt. Fuji. The view from Hotel Metropolitan Ikebukuro. We had originally planned to visit the Yamazaki whisky distillery in Osaka, but found that it would be closed in…
It sounds kind of touristy, but you might have fun at the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama if you have the time. Many of my friends have been through this attraction, and it is actually pretty interesting if you look…
Tokyo street fashion has arrived in Honolulu! Last night, Honolulu Museum of Art debuted its Harajuku Tokyo Street Fashion exhibit with an opening party, featuring appearances by Japanese boutique Tokyo Bopper and Tokyo street fashion star Minori demonstrating the art…
Pow! Wow! Worldwide (formerly Pow! Wow! Hawaii) just wrapped a huge weeklong installation on the streets of Tokyo. On the first leg of Pow Wow’s Asia 2015 tour, 19 of the world’s best contemporary mural and street artists painted more…
Sake lovers came out in full force Friday night for Joy of Sake 2015 at the Hawaii Convention Center. This annual event is the largest public sake-tasting celebration outside Japan, pairing premium sake with exquisite dishes from some of Hawaii’s…
Sadly, I don’t play video games as much as before. It’s a strange formula: The older I get, the less I play. Why can’t I get younger and play more? I’m lucky if I can sneak in a session of…
I love ramen. I could eat ramen every day. I did for a while, until it took a toll on my wallet and my stomach. Skinny guy with a beer belly was not the look I was going for. So…
I would never suspect a ninja stronghold within modern-day Tokyo, but that’s what the art of ninjutsu is all about: deception and misdirection. Being a lifelong fan of Japanese culture, I finally fulfilled my dream of traveling to the Land…
I had one final day in Japan before heading home, so met up with my friend, Hawaii ex-pat Deanne Matsushima. She, like many of my Hawaii friends, used to live in an area called Asagaya. It is an older, established…
My last day in Tokyo before heading out was a full day of hanging out with friends from Hawaii as well as Japan. The entourage (below) was a group that started with Hawaii folks and my friend Deanne Matsushita, who…
Tokyo can be expensive, but there are many cheap, filling restaurants that are popular with the city’s denizens. I saw some great spots on this trip, but didn’t have enough time to go in. There was the ramen shop right…
One of the first things people do when they visit Tokyo is head to Shibuya station, where the famous statue of Hachiko the dog has stood for the last 67 years. Throughout Japan, Hachiko’s dedication to his master Hidesaburo Ueno —…
The home base for the 2022 Hale ‘Aina Restaurateurs of the Year is a hidden paradise that serves up the best Lao and Thai food in Honolulu.
