Japan is a country that loves its castles. Despite decommissioning and dismantling almost all of them in the late 19th century, they have been on the comeback as more than a hundred ‘rebuilt’ castles have joined the surviving dozen originals.…
Name That Castle!
In preparation for tomorrow’s new article let’s play a rousing game of Name That Castle! The first person to correctly guess the castle wins a genuine Original Marvel No-Prize! Ganbatte ne! The answer will be revealed in tomorrow’s story.
A Corsair Comes Home
Near the end of World War II most carrier aircraft that flew missions over Japan would strike their targets and return. Generally those that didn’t come back after a mission never would, but for one Corsair coming back just took…
Art and Architecture in Liepaja
Liepaja, Latvia, is the home of extremes in architecture from the beautiful late 19th century downtown to its dead, both artistically and habitably, Soviet blocks (or is it blocs?). During my visit in 2014 I didn’t get a chance to…
Two Warbirds in One Little Museum
The first flying Zero to call Japan home in 70 years has come to Kanoya, in the far south of Kyushu. Flying or not, Japanese warbirds are a rare breed. They were never produced in the same numbers as…
My Bullet Train Can Eat Your Bullet Train: 500 Type Eva Shinkansen
Japan and trains go together, they’re a common sight and practical means of conveyance, and while most are pretty unassuming there are more than a few colorful and distinct trains running around. One of those is the Neon Genesis Evangelion-themed…
Bargello: A Medieval Frame for Renaissance Art
Painted, sculpted, constructed, there is an overabundance of impressive art, art that is part and parcel to the history and existence of the town. The Uffizi and it’s never ending halls, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the Galleria del’Accademia, which…
Take Flight Into the Past
Kanoya, in the far south of Japan’s southernmost main island, is a rather inconvenient location for an air museum. It’s more than 500 miles from Tokyo and getting there via public transport requires taking a Shinkansen bullet train to the…
Ft. Meade is Rather Inconvenient for European Tank Lovers, Isn’t It?
For those living in the Old World, visiting Ft. Meade’s small post museum to see the ultimate World War I heavy tank, besides the TOG II*, would be a bit of a trip. As mentioned the Mark VIII was an…
Mark VIII: Joint Tank Designed to Help End War to End War
This tank has been or will be moved to the US Army’s Armor & Cavalry Collection at Ft. Benning, which is not open to the public. Today’s Joint Strike Fighter is an example of the modern push to have militaries…