The Big Mac(Donald’s) Update

Since I last did a McDonald’s update, I’ve gained a lot of readers. For those who are new, I try to eat at a McDonald’s restaurant in every country I visit. McDonald’s in every country are just a little bit different as they adjust the menu to fit local tastes. Eating at McDonald’s is an …

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Japan: Mecca for Sushi Lovers

Sushi is far and away my favorite food. I’m not alone in that assessment. All around the world sushi restaurants have been springing up like weeds as sushi has gained in popularity. It is easily the biggest Japanese contribution to global culture (yes, bigger than Anime). So I couldn’t really go to Japan and not …

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The Temples and Shrines of Japan: Part 1, Kyoto

Read part 2 and part 3 Travelers to Europe often complain of church fatigue. Everywhere you go, you see old churches and castles and after a while they all sort of just blur into each other. In Asia, the equivalent would be Shrine and Temple fatigue. No place I’ve visited so far suffers more from …

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Domo Arigato Mister Momofuku

I have a quick question for you, and you have to think really quick…..what is the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th Century? My guess is that the first thoughts that come to mind might include the Walkman, instant cameras, the VCR, blue-green lasers, DVDs (jointly with Phillips), or something involving technology. They took a …

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The Shrines and Temples of Japan: Part 2, Horyuji and Nara

If you’ve been following along for a while, or if you at least take a look at the left column of my website, you’ll notice that I have an affinity for UNESCO World Heritage sites. I’m not trying to visit every one of them, for that would be impossible. I passed up four in Japan …

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Off to Osaka

I’m off to Osaka with a stop at Himeji Castle on the way. I haven’t been posting that much, but if you take a look at the loads of photos I’ve put on Flickr, you can get an idea of what I’ll be writing about shortly. I have a lot of things in the works, …

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1 Month

I have been in Japan over one month. I can’t really believe it. I’ve have so much stuff to write about, but I’ve been so busy it has been hard to find the time. I still have 6gb of photos to go through. You’ll be seeing Japan updates for a while I think. Tomorrow is …

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Alive at Ground Zero

I’m well in Hiroshima. First, I’m finally around other tourists. Tons in Hiroshima especially around the Peace Park. Second, I get off the train, start looking at bus routes and a Japanese woman comes up to me and says in English “are you lost?” So much for people not speaking English. They also have electronics …

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The Shrines and Temples of Japan: Part 3, Nikko

If you haven’t yet, first read part one and part two. I had a reader ask me what she should do when she’s in Tokyo and I suggested a visit to Nikko. That reminded me that I never wrote the final party of my three part Shrines and Temples of Japan series. So, in the …

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