#sitesinjapan Archives - japonica.info

Mark Robinson’s Favorite Things

Posted 05/16/2023 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Where do you live and why did you choose to live there? I live in Asakusa. It’s got a river and a history and a fascinating role in early 20th century literature as a setting for writers like Junichiro Tanizaki, Kafu Nagai, Yasunari Kawabata, Takuboku Ishikawa and many others. Kawabata’s “Scarlet Gang of Asakusa,” a serialized novel, captures beautifully the riotous, delinquent nature of the prewar neighborhood. Asakusa also has one of Tokyo’s oldest and biggest temples (among hundreds of… Read more »

Mark Robinson's Favorite Things

Posted 05/16/2023 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Where do you live and why did you choose to live there? I live in Asakusa. It’s got a river and a history and a fascinating role in early 20th century literature as a setting for writers like Junichiro Tanizaki, Kafu Nagai, Yasunari Kawabata, Takuboku Ishikawa and many others. Kawabata’s “Scarlet Gang of Asakusa,” a serialized novel, captures beautifully the riotous, delinquent nature of the prewar neighborhood. Asakusa also has one of Tokyo’s oldest and biggest temples (among hundreds of… Read more »

Naomi Pollock’s Favorite Things

Posted 04/24/2023 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Where do you live and why do you choose to live there? We no longer live in Japan but over the course of our multi-year stay, we lived in different parts of Tokyo: Shimouma, Nanpeidai, Moto Azabu, Minami Azabu and, finally, Minami Aoyama. After bedding down in low-scale apartment buildings, we opted for a high-rise for our last hurrah. As an architect, I probably would have protested the construction of our building. But our views of Tokyo Tower and, especially,… Read more »

Naomi Pollock's Favorite Things

Posted 04/24/2023 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Where do you live and why do you choose to live there? We no longer live in Japan but over the course of our multi-year stay, we lived in different parts of Tokyo: Shimouma, Nanpeidai, Moto Azabu, Minami Azabu and, finally, Minami Aoyama. After bedding down in low-scale apartment buildings, we opted for a high-rise for our last hurrah. As an architect, I probably would have protested the construction of our building. But our views of Tokyo Tower and, especially,… Read more »

Nicolai Bergman Hakone Gardens

Posted 08/31/2022 by Michiyo Nakamoto

I had always been curious about Nicolai Bergman, the Danish flower artist whose eponymous shops are a treasure-box of colorful, eye-catching floral creations, both fresh and preserved. Neatly packed into beautifully designed boxes or transformed into flower sculptures, Bergman’s preserved flowers are in a class of their own because they look so natural. Walking by Bergman’s shop in Roppongi Hills or Omotesando, it is difficult to resist the temptation to stop by, if only to have a look at what… Read more »

Hot Spring Hopping in Tohoku (1 ) – Toshichi Onsen

Posted 08/08/2022 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Hitou, or hidden hot springs, are the holy grail for onsen lovers. Often difficult to access, usually exposed to the elements and generally for mixed bathing, hitou are not for the shy or faint-hearted. But for those with fewer inhibitions who enjoy a steaming soak under open skies, surrounded by pristine nature, hitou are the perfect place to relax and rejuvenate and feel at one with the universe. I had a taste of that sense of abandon and oneness with… Read more »

Peter Tasker’s Favorite Things

Posted 06/20/2022 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Where do you live and why do you live there? For the last 15 years, I’ve been living in Nakameguro in central Tokyo. It’s outside the Yamanote Line belt, yet amazingly convenient. When the weather allows, I walk to my office near Aoyama Gakuin University (in Shibuya) in about 40 minutes. The Hibiya Line gives easy access to Ginza and the business district. The Toyoko Line express takes you in two stops to Shinjuku 3-chome and entertainment districts, which would… Read more »

Peter Tasker's Favorite Things

Posted 06/20/2022 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Where do you live and why do you live there? For the last 15 years, I’ve been living in Nakameguro in central Tokyo. It’s outside the Yamanote Line belt, yet amazingly convenient. When the weather allows, I walk to my office near Aoyama Gakuin University (in Shibuya) in about 40 minutes. The Hibiya Line gives easy access to Ginza and the business district. The Toyoko Line express takes you in two stops to Shinjuku 3-chome and entertainment districts, which would… Read more »

Natsuko Toda’s Favorite Things

Posted 05/16/2022 by Michiyo Nakamoto

1. Where do you live and why did you choose to live there? I was born in Tokyo and lived in Setagaya ward until I was about 20. When Hiroo Garden Hills was developed, it looked like a good place to live. Back then, you could only buy an apartment there if you won a lottery. I was lucky I won the lottery and was able to buy an apartment, probably because it was on the fourth floor. (The number 4 in Japanese is… Read more »

Natsuko Toda's Favorite Things

Posted 05/16/2022 by Michiyo Nakamoto

1. Where do you live and why did you choose to live there? I was born in Tokyo and lived in Setagaya ward until I was about 20. When Hiroo Garden Hills was developed, it looked like a good place to live. Back then, you could only buy an apartment there if you won a lottery. I was lucky I won the lottery and was able to buy an apartment, probably because it was on the fourth floor. (The number 4 in Japanese is… Read more »

Atsuko Gatling's Favorite Things

Posted 04/05/2022 by Michiyo Nakamoto

We asked Atsuko Gatling, a native of Tokyo’s trendy Aoyama neighborhood, about her favorite places, pastimes and more. Where do you live and why did you choose that neighborhood? I live in Minami-Aoyama where I was born and raised in a single-family home, which is now a condominium. Although my husband and I have moved several times, I have always lived in Minato-ku (where Aoyama is located), so it’s really my home. My mother, when she was alive, lived here as… Read more »

Atsuko Gatling’s Favorite Things