About

I write about food, customs, and travel in Japan, the land of the food obsessed. My husband is a gourmet food trader and restaurateur from Tokyo; my oldest daughter lives and works in Wakayama; and my youngest daughter visits Japan every chance she gets. Because of these Japanese connections, I have experienced many elements of Japan that are not readily available to the ordinary tourist:

- kaiseki cuisine hosted by elegant geisha in a Kyoto machiya; 

- sake tastings at multigenerational owned distilleries in Kobe and Hiroshima;

- chanko nabe at renowned sumo stables in Tokyo;

- soba at a three hundred year old noodle shop along the Nakasendo, the historic walking route between ancient Tokyo and Kyoto.

- shojin ryori in a six hundred year old monastery in Koyasan;

- mikan orange picking along the ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route;  

- shellfish and seafood sashimi freshly caught and devoured on a boat off the rocky coast of Wakayama;

- festive picnics celebrating the cherry blossom season in Wakayama, the apple season in the orchards of Nagano, and the maple leaf season in Kyoto.

Since we are food driven, our travels throughout Japan follow culinary itineraries planned around temple flea markets, tea houses, cafes, coffee shops, food exhibits, fruit orchards, fishing villages, festivals, and farmers’ marketplaces. Apart from visiting museums, shrines, hot springs, and shops, we have also experienced ancient pilgrimage routes, cycling trips, hiking paths, and golf courses.

One of our favorite regions in Japan is Wakayama, a beautiful coastal area that is off the beaten path where you can do all of these things, far far away from the hustle and bustle of the mega metropolis of Tokyo.