October 16-17, 2025 “Don't dunk your nigiri in the soy sauce. Don't mix your wasabi in the soy sauce. If the rice is good, complement your sushi chef on the rice.” -Anthony Bourdain Bullet trains are extraordinary technological marvels.  Through very powerful magnets they levitate on tracks achieving frictionless propulsion and astounding speeds.  They can cover distances normal trains take in 1/3 of the time. Japan has pioneered this technology and leads the world in high sp

October 15, 2025 "It is better to travel well than to arrive." -Buddha We returned to Northern Tokyo for a brief visit to the Asakusa neighborhood.  We initially considered staying here during our Tokyo days but it is not on the main metro lines and would have taken too long to get to other locations we wanted to see.  Still the unique nature of the area warranted a look before we left Tokyo for good. The Golden Turd (Tokyo Skytree Tower in background) Perhaps the most un

October 14, 2025 “It’s no wonder Japanese find it so easy to worship nature” Colleen Dobbs If anyone else who reads this missive is as immature as I am, they are familiar with a video game called “Ghost of Tsushima”.  It is a popular Playstation game in which a wronged samurai warrior seeks his revenge against tyrannical foes. As fun as the game is hacking and slashing your way to justice, there is a part of the game that elevates it beyond the usual fare.  The animators have

October 13, 2025 “Life is like a long journey carrying a heavy burden - there is no need to rush” Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu from The Testament of Ieyasu We left Tokyo by train for an excursion 2 hours north to the foothills of the Japanese Alps.  Japan has large mountains that run through the middle and west of the country.  Most, if not all, are volcanic in origin. We traveled there via a futuristic train called the SpaciaX. No, it is not the famed bullet train, that will come la