Luke, Author at FAQ Japan

Setsubun: One Fine Day in Spring

February 7, 2018

Blog Kanto Tokyo

The snow came and went faster than a fleeting thought on a cold February morning. Despite the cold, Setsubun is a very famous festival taking place across Japan right now. The festival involves throwing roasted beans at demons, and marks the penultimate d ...

Journey to the Center of the Buddha

February 1, 2018

Blog Kanto Tokyo

It has got very cold as of late, but today offers rare blue skies and a warm winter sun. Today might be the last day hot enough to do anything practical before spring, so I decide to make the most of it with a day trip out of Tokyo. My destination is a li ...

Journey in Japan Part 64: Fins Can Only Get Batter

December 30, 2017

Blog Kanto Tokyo

Today, my friend and I head over to Tsukiji, to visit a fish market. Outside the train station, the outer market is crowded with mostly tourists. It is fair to say that along the small streets lining the market, we are literally packed like sardines. Ther ...

Journey in Japan Part 63: Paint and Gunpowder

December 29, 2017

Blog Kanto Tokyo

I meet up with some friends, and the four of us head out on foot toward Ueno Park. Today the National Museum of Western Art is having a free admission day, and despite being in Japan, we consider it worth a look. We stroll inside and are asked to show our ...

Journey in Japan Part 62: Schindler’s Lift

December 28, 2017

Blog Kanto Shibuya

My friend and I meet up at 10 am, and catch the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to Shibuya. Today is once again warm, and all trace of Christmas day is gone. There are no longer decorations outside shops, and all the music of the festive season has been replaced b ...

Journey in Japan Part 61: Ticket to (almost) Ride

December 25, 2017

Asakusa Blog Kanto

Today is Christmas Day. I wake up at 4 am with a Christmas party hangover. It is too early to think, but I have things to do. Today my friend is arriving in Japan from England, and it is my job to act as a tour guide for the next few days. I walk to Nippo ...

Journey in Japan Part 60: Palace Under Fire

December 23, 2017

Blog Kanto Tokyo

Today is His Imperial Majesty the Emperor’s 84th Birthday. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the people of Japan will be enjoying the public holiday, and a day off work (except when it falls on a weekend like in 2017). The only person not celebrating, ...

Journey in Japan Part 59: A Wild Frog Chase

December 11, 2017

Blog Kanto Tokyo

Today I decide to take my bicycle and head to the nearby Arakawa Park, a place I haven’t previously visited. This park seems to have somehow half escaped the losing of its leaves. One side of the park is skeletally bare, the other side, flourishing with n ...

Journey in Japan Part 58: The Tooth Without Enamel

December 4, 2017

Blog Kanto Shibuya

Today is the last day in Japan to look at the autumn leaves. Abscission has begun, and the leaves are ready. It is as though some secret internal clock powered by nature tells the trees that today they must sever their leaves. Cascading like clockwork. Fa ...

Journey in Japan Part 57: In an interstellar burst

November 30, 2017

Blog Kanto Tokyo

Toothache has returned. After two full months of remaining silent in the corner of my mouth, the pain floods back like a terrible memory. My previous trauma at the dentist is once again vivid in the forefront of my mind. Lucky for me, I still have some li ...