In 1878, Japan was becoming a modern nation freeing itself of its feudal past. But what should be done with the men who fought and died to make that modern nation a reality, the samurai? In Last Samurai Standing, hundreds…
Sacred Sefa-utaki and Chinen’s Charming Overlook
According to legend the goddess Amamikyo first came to the island of Okinawa in what’s now Nanjo City on Okinawa’s southeastern Chinen peninsula. With her came the beginning of Ryukyu’s culture and native religion. Her children where the first kings…
It’s an Adventure, Right? Haruhi Suzumiya One-Day Sightseeing Tour of Nishinomiya (and Amagasaki)
(This article is photo heavy, so please give it time to load!) One of the first anime that really got me into anime was the 2006 series the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This was a 2006 anime series based on…
Return to Aquatope on White Sand’s Gama Gama!
This is a follow up to my first visit to the real life location of Aquatope on White Sand, Chinen-son (Chinen Village). Click here to read that article. The first half of Aquatope on White Sand primarily took place in…
Evangelion 3.0+1.0’s Ube-Shinkawa Station
This is another ‘fun’ post for those that can’t get to Japan at the moment due to this and that going on in the world. I’m vaccinated and desperately needed to get off Okinawa for a few days to decompress…
White Sand and Blue Sea: Chinen Village in Aquatope on White Sand
This is the first part of a one-day trip to Nanjo City, Okinwa, broken into two stories. Those interested in how a real seaside Okinawan village is depicted in modern pop culture can start here. If you’re just here for…
Sakura Wars’ Imperial Capital: The Tokyo That Was (and Wasn’t)
Updated Dec. 20, 2021: All Google Maps images removed and replaced with photos from my recent visit to Tokyo! May 21, 2024: Port Opening Memorial Hall added! We’re exploring the Imperial Capital (Teito) of Sakura Wars, a unique take on…
Visit Suzu’s House, a World War II Japanese Home at Showa Living History Museum
An old-fashioned wooden home hidden in an otherwise unassuming modern Tokyo suburb, Showa no Kurashi (Showa Living History Museum)* normally depicts post-war Tokyo life but for a limited time its taking visitors back to World War II to show life…
Visiting Old Tokyo at the Edo-Tokyo Tatemono
Tokyo is a place constantly in change. Buildings rise and fall, little is sacred, but if you want to see a little bit of that Old Tokyo that’s mostly escaped us and learn about the great city’s past in…
Travel to Mid-Century Japan at Showa no Machi
(Our visit to Showa no Machi was partially covered here in article about Kids on the Slope movie filming locations.) Time travel is a distinct possibility in Japan; throughout the country neighborhoods or districts are preserved like time capsules of…