There are many fine military aviation museums in the world but living in Italy means I don’t need to fly far to find one. The Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare Italiana, Italian Air Force Museum, located on Lake Bracciano has an…
Delays
Sorry for the lack of update this week. It is my week to update, but I am busy with a new job and moving into a new apartment. Once things settle down next week, we should be updating as usual…
It’s Pronounced “Bah-tah-ahn”
(It’s still 10 PM in Hawaii so technically this is on time. Also, originally posted last year at my comic website www.jakelivescomic.com) At work I’m known for talking about Philippine history, especially in World War II, so I’m occasionally joked…
Uniquely Kyushu: Shimabara
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.
Nara: Ancient Japan at its Finest
When people think of ancient Japan, many first think of the former capital city, Kyoto. Even many of the Japanese I meet, when I mention that I enjoy visiting historic places, one of the first questions I’m asked…
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…
Jinmu-ji and Mt. Takatori – A hiking paradise
One of the great things about living in Japan, and in Kanagawa in particular, is that there are always new and interesting places just waiting to be discovered. There always seems to be some cluster of old shops, an…
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…
A Jogashima Walking Adventure
In addition to its immense and ancient history, Japan is also a land of great natural beauty. A bit more than a year ago, I had the privilege of experiencing some of that beauty at a place called Jogashima.…