Posted Japan 2019.
Category: Japan
Japan 2019
Tomorrow we go to Japan. I’ve been visiting Japan annually for several years as a solo traveler. I’m grateful my recently post-work partner now has the time to travel with me. We’ve managed to duck Typhoon Hagibis, Japan’s most powerful typhoon in decades. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected. Last year I managed… Continue reading Japan 2019
Shout-Out for Japan Rail Passes
Posted A Shout-Out for Japan Rail Passes.
A Shout-Out for Japan Rail Passes
This coming week a FedEx envelope will arrive containing two vouchers I’ll exchange for Japan Rail (JR) Passes. In October we’ll fly into Matsuyama MYJ on the island of Shikoku, Japan, at the end of a series of flights from Minneapolis MSP. At Matsuyama’s main train station, we’ll exchange the vouchers for JR passes valid… Continue reading A Shout-Out for Japan Rail Passes
The Heart Sutra with Tooltips
Posted The Heart Sutra with Tooltips.
The Heart Sutra with Tooltips
In October I’ll be going on my annual trip to Japan. My partner will be joining me, now that his work life is in the rearview mirror. I’m planning to introduce him to many adventures I’ve figured out over the past few years. Doubtless, we’ll also find new adventures. At the beginning of our trip,… Continue reading The Heart Sutra with Tooltips
Ramen During a Storm
The video screen showed stunning rainfall on the island of Kyushu, southern Japan, a place I love, while I quietly slurped ramen.
Blue Tarps in a Park
Posted Blue Tarps in a Park.
Blue Tarps in a Park
The homeless at [Tokyo’s] Ueno Park were up early Monday, with hundreds of the park dwellers quietly disassembling their tents and packing their belongings onto carts soon after dawn. Pushing carts laden with their possessions, they plodded toward a small empty plot hidden by bushes and trees. Around 9:40 a.m., about two hours after completing… Continue reading Blue Tarps in a Park
Poverty and Homelessness in Japan
This afternoon I was a couch potato devouring a new novel, in translation: “Tokyo Ueno Station.” It depicts poverty and homelessness in Japan and deepened my understanding of scenes I’ve glimpsed in Japan. As I expected, the ending was not happy.