Today I looked out of our bedroom window and realized, it's been exactly one year since we visited this countryside. Tokamachi. My husband's hometown. The place he grew up. And though we've visited a few times in the past, I could never get tired of the view, be it in summer or in winter or spring and maybe … Continue reading Take a look at another side of Japan
countryside life
Welcoming spring at Echigo Hillside Park
When we were living in Dubai, the only chance we had to see real tulips was inside a lobby of a five star hotel. Dubai is awesome like that, if you can't get to the real flowers, they bring it in. These flowers are imported from far flung countries and handled with so much care … Continue reading Welcoming spring at Echigo Hillside Park
Spring comes to our new home
The promise of spring's arrival is enough to get anyone through the bitter winter. People who visit this area called, "snow country" in Niigata prefecture would think it will take a year for all the snow to melt. And I can't blame them, I mean look at this. This picture was taken last February, in … Continue reading Spring comes to our new home
Starting a new life in Niigata
For the past two months, this is the view that greets me every morning when I wake up and open the curtains. If you saw the photos I recently posted on my Instagram account during our move to Japan, specifically in Niigata prefecture, you would tell me I've gone crazy. And I'm going to tell … Continue reading Starting a new life in Niigata
Visiting Japan’s small town charm
I've been thinking a lot about Japan lately. I blame my husband - we have been watching Japanese news on the TV almost every night at bed time. Everything sounds and feels familiar once again. I blame my mother in law who, right now got addicted to sending Japanese foodstuff lately. Or this is just plain … Continue reading Visiting Japan’s small town charm
Missing Niigata
My mother in law called me last weekend, and asked the perpetual question, as she does almost every year: "When are you coming here again, aren't you doing the taiken nyuugaku anymore?" The last time we were in Japan was already more than three years ago and though we would have loved to go more … Continue reading Missing Niigata
The longest and largest river in Japan and random foodie memories
I remember when my husband and I were still dating, we would drive to the north to his hometown on school breaks (we met while in university), we would pass this long, winding river from Nagano Prefecture to Niigata Prefecture from Kanagawa. This is Japan's longest and largest river and flows from the mountainous region … Continue reading The longest and largest river in Japan and random foodie memories
Rural Japan in summer
Summer in Japan is a vibrant season. I love how everything is so green and the weather is warmer. My father in-law's rice paddies come to life. Obviously, not all of the places in Japan are chaotic, teeming with people and having the rush that the big city of Tokyo has. This rice paddy is … Continue reading Rural Japan in summer
Japanese summer festival
Summer in Japan means a lot of outdoor celebrations or "matsuri". The matsuris are usually held in temples, "jinja" and the whole place is lit up with these paper lanterns. When we went to Japan for vacation last year, my in-laws invited my brother and his wife, who just got married in summer of 2008 … Continue reading Japanese summer festival
Experiencing farm life in Japan
We had our fill of rural, laid back life in my husband's hometown in Japan last summer. Life there was simple: people tend their farms, grow vegetables and shops close before 9pm. My image of Japan as a place with lightning speed technology and ultra busy lifestyle changed when I first visited this quiet town. … Continue reading Experiencing farm life in Japan
Finding Backroads 