Today, we visited the Forbidden City in Beijing. We started by driving to Tiananmen Square, and getting a good view of the front gate. When we get out, the first thing I realized is that there are thousands of...
Kanpai! Tokyo Photo Blog
While we were only there for essentially 2 days, we had an incredible experience and really enjoyed ourselves in Tokyo. It was amazing to see a city of 34 million people. There were certain times of day when you...
The Art of Ninja
Today we were trained in the mysterious ancient Japanese art of being a ninja. We learned about the history of ninjas and their role in espionage (being a spy). We also learned that our preconceived notions of ninjas yelling...
Tsukiji Fish Market Adventure
Today in Tokyo we went to Tsukiji Fish Market. It was crazy and cool to see. We met a really nice and smart chef named Andy, who is British, at the Tsukiji (pronounced Su-Key-Gee) Fish Market. He has been going...
Zazen (Zen Buddhist Meditation) or 坐禅 in Japanese
Zen Buddhism has a meditative discipline named “zazen” in Japan. Zazen literally means seated meditation. Meditation in Japan is a discipline practiced by Zen Buddhist monks and, a few days ago, we were able to see into the world of the art...
Chillin’ in a Ryokan
We packed up from Kyoto and headed to the mountains to relax in an authentic ryokan with natural onsens. It’s essentially a mountain lodge with hot springs where you don Japanese kimonos and have traditional keiseki meals. It was...
Aikido Training With Our Sensei
Today we had an awesome Aikido class in Kyoto. Aikido is a Japanese martial art that is based on not hurting yourself or your opponent. When we walked in, we saw our instructor who had a huge and awesome...
Kyoto Photo Blog
Monday, August 31 Nijo Castle (Shinto shrine). Kinkakuji (aka Golden Pagoda) Buddhist Temple. Ryoanji Temple (zen rock garden). Strolling through the Nishiki food market in downtown Kyoto. Strange smells, strange sights, all incredibly intriguing. Calligraphy...
One farm, three temples and a shrine in Japan
{Brooke’s blog, with a little assist from dadd-o on our farm stay} We are leaving our stay in a traditional Japanese farm house near Miyama with a beautiful old vegetarian Buddhist couple, Keisan and Setsusan. It was spartan and...
Exploring Kyoto
Today, we visited a bunch of temples and historic places in Kyoto. We started by visiting the Shogun castle in Kyoto. The castle is called Nijo castle. The castle was created by a great Shogun named Tokugawa, who conquered...