Art
Tokyo National Museum: The Honest Review Nobody Will Give You (Rating 6/10)
I came home from Tokyo the first time nursing one intolerable gap: I hadn't seen the National Museum. So I went back,...
Food
Sumi Kappo Hirac, Osaka: A Review of a Lunch I Did Not Expect to Love This Much
After a couple of restaurant missteps on our last day in Japan, lunch at Sumi Kappo Hirac, a charcoal kappo restaurant in...
Food
Japanese Whetstones: A Practical Guide (And the Truth About Where to Buy Them)
DIY or professional, stone or HORL3, Japan or back home: an honest, detailed guide to sharpening a Japanese knife and buying the...
Food
Why You Should Buy a Hinoki Cutting Board in Japan (And When You Shouldn’t)
Why a hinoki cutting board is the natural second purchase after a Japanese knife: what the wood is, where to buy one...
Food
Buying knives in Osaka: From Kappabashi’s Chaos to a Sakai Boutique (Jikko)
A single-bevel yanagiba bought at Jikko in Osaka, the six-hundred-year history of Sakai's blades behind it, and why the shopping experience felt...
Diving
Is scuba diving dangerous? Awareness and management
How dangerous is scuba diving? A factual look at decompression sickness, drowning risk, shark encounters, equipment failures, and how to manage them...
Travel
Things to do in Nara (Japan): Todaiji Temple
Visit Todai-ji Temple in Nara: the Great Buddha Hall, the world
Travel
Restaurants in Chinatown, Manhattan: House of Joy. Like ‘Big Trouble in Little China’—but with dim sum instead of demons.
Dove mangiare a Manhattan. House of Joy: una macchina bellica della ristorazione cantonese. Dim sum, baozi, mochi. Qualità sopraffina al minor prezzo...
Travel
Where to Buy Japanese Knives in Tokyo: Kappabashi & Tsukiji Guide
Where to buy Japanese knives in Tokyo: a detailed guide to the best shops in Kappabashi and Tsukiji. Brands, prices, blade types,...
