(This article was written based on a visit to the bar in early January 2020 and concludes our Meiji and Taisho-era drinking trilogy. Please read responsibly.) One of my favorite Japanese drinks is neither a beer, nor traditional sake or…

After learning about the beers drank in the Meiji and Taisho eras, the next logical step was to learn about the eras’ cocktails. The recipes for mixing liquor travel well and last a really long time compared to beers. To…
There are many ways to tangibly learn about the past. We can visit restored or preserved old buildings kept as they would have been a century ago, ride steam locomotives pulling vintage cars or participate in reenactments where everyone involved…
This is the second and final part of a series on Mojiko, Kitakyushu. Mojiko’s waterside is a quiet place with a park like atmosphere most notable for its unobstructed view of Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Strait and being a place…
In the early 20th century Yokohama and Kobe were Japan’s first and second most important ports, places through which new foreign goods flowed and passengers embarked vessels to go abroad and discover new ideas and those coming to bring them…
Updated Dec. 20, 2021: All Google Maps images removed and replaced with photos from my recent visit to Tokyo! May 21, 2024: Port Opening Memorial Hall added! We’re exploring the Imperial Capital (Teito) of Sakura Wars, a unique take on…
When feudal Japan re-opened to foreign relations after centuries of isolation in the 19th century, it had a lot technological catching up to do and Nagasaki was at the forefront of Japan’s rapid modernization. Previously the home of Japanese Catholicism…
When Commodore Perry arrived in 1853 to deliver a letter, Japan had no means to keep the postman away. The nation was sent into chaos resulting in the overthrowing of the Shogunate, abolition of the feudal system and social class…
There’s no other place quite like Hakodate in Japan. A truly historic international city on the northern island of Hokkaido, it has a French star-shaped fortress, old British and Russian churches and consulates and at turns is reminiscent of San…