Hello everyone! A fair number of us come from countries with a lot of space and nature, countries like Canada and Australia for example, and those of us fond of getting lost in the outdoors might not normally consider Japan as synonymous with serious off-road 4×4-ing. The surprise is that it really is possible to really [...]
Ever since my first visit to Japan, almost 20 years ago, I have always loved visiting the country’s great traditional hot springs 温泉. My first visit to an onsen was in Nita , in Shimane-ken 島根県. Although I had read much of the etiquette of the onsen, I was lucky enough, on that occasion [...]
BMX flying One aspect of Nishinomiyahama 西宮浜, where I have lived for almost a year and a half, that I have not mentioned before in this series is the variety of sports and leisure activities that go on there almost throughout the year. There is always so much going on both on land and [...]
I was reading a feature on the Japan Times website recently. This article was entitled Silent Spring in Tokyo and bemoaned the lack of any sign of wildlife in the Tokyo suburb where the author lives (he states that it is about an hour’s train ride from midtown). All that I can say to the writer [...]
I am happy to report that 80% of the students at my Smith’s School of English Franchise in Kotoen are actively participating in the new 1-point homework, and one particular student has far exceeded my expectation of what is required. Not only does she have excellent hand-writing and note-taking skills, she also keeps a sepearate, A6-sized [...]
It would take a thousand articles to describe all there is to see in beautiful Kyoto and an equal number of days to visit them. Nevertheless here is another installment highlighting a somewhat lesser-known National Treasure site well-worth a visit. Kamigamo Jinja dates from the 11th Century and most of the present buildings date from the 17th Century. [...]
For your next holiday, why not head down to Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu. Kagoshima is a surprisingly lush, sub-tropical, volcanic region in the southernmost corner of Japan and is home to some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet anywhere. Dense jungle-like forest and smoking volcanoes are typical in Kagoshima and the lowland regions also rank among the warmest [...]
It sure didn’t take long for the thermometer to rise and the cherry blossoms are already on the way out. That’s really too bad because they were so pretty this year. Still, in the early morning it can be pretty chilly and hardly anything is better to wear on those cool flyer mornings than our very own [...]
One of nicest day trips by car that I can think of is a day spent at Rurikei. This is a mountain-top recreational area a few kilometers north of Nose-cho along Route 173, and just inside Kyoto Prefecture, Nantan City. Rurikei has a large number of sights with tons of things to do, and if [...]
It’s still a bit chilly out this early March but pretty soon it’ll be too warm too be wearing a coat. A great thing to have when you’re out doing local promotion in the early spring is the our white, Smith’s School of English windbreaker!! It’s surprisingly comfortable and has a very positive effect on everyone who sees you. I [...]
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