Nagano and traditional Shinano cuisine Zenkoji Temple is the heart and soul of Nagano City. It is one of the most important and popular temples in Japan. It was founded in the 7th century and stores the first Buddhist statue ever to be brought into Japan when Buddhism was first introduced in the 6th century. Similar […]

Sampuru, Replica food making experience Whenever we go to a Japanese restaurant, the first thing we do is marvel at the fake food in the front window. My kids are very intrigued by them. So real, so fake, so detailed! Restaurants throughout Japan display these plastic food replicas as a sort of menu or in-the-street […]

Tohoku-A humbling experience When I got to know that we were suppose to cover Tohuku region specifically Miyagi and Sendai, I admit I was very apprehensive. Not that long ago in 2011, the great Tsunami destroyed a great part of Tohoku and caused a nuclear meltdown of the nuclear reactors in Fukushima. The government of […]