Category: Travel
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Tyty Visits Japan!

Finally! A fellow Do comes to visit our humble abode here in Tokyo. In transit to Vietnam, my sister stopped by for a quick tour. I chose the best spots I could think of for proximity and weather limitations. We started with the Shiofune Kannon temple in Ome. The winter had a sepia effect on the…
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Tori no Iru – Owl Cafe

With yet another friend visiting Tokyo, I had to think of a fun place to take her that didn’t include another touristy spot or one we’d been to before. And then it hit me! I’d been wanting to go to an owl cafe since I first saw someone post about it months ago. There are several in our area,…
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Shimoda Trip 2014

As Clint was preparing to head to the desert, we’d be remiss not to make a trip to the beach. So we did just that. We got a van, grabbed a couple of friends and made our way to paradise. Shimoda was just as lovely as last year, but more enjoyable with barely any visitors.…
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Flower Festival at Showa Kinen Park

Cherry blossoms are gone, but spring has only begun. This past weekend, we drove to Tachikawa to see the Flowers Festival (which really ought to be the Tulips Festival) at Showa Kinen Park. The park itself is quite expansive! It took us three hours to walk around the entire thing. Since we entered the opposite…
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Sakura Season

Nothing quite conjures the image of spring like the ethereal sakura blossoms. This year, we are fortunate enough to be in the mecca for these gorgeous blooms. Tokyo is lined with their effervescent beauty. Winds blow the petals across as though they are flurries of snow. Inokashira Park is a perfect area for romance. We’d…
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Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano

I like monkeys. I always have. They’re on the top of my list of dream pets. Clint and I saw some Japanese macaques at the zoo this past summer, but were uncomfortable by their confinement. Wild animals need to be in the wild! I’m not particularly anti-zoo or anything. Some animals need to be in…
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Fussa Foods

I’m not even exaggerating when I say everything in Japan is delicious! We pretty much haven’t walked into any restaurant (whether by recommendation or by chance), that we’ve been displeased with. From yakiniku to ramen to curry even – everything is so oishii. Below are some local restaurants we’ve tried and loved so far: バーミヤン瑞穂店…
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Rivers Galore

Clint has been super stoked to get out his fishing rod and reel for the first time in over a year. Japan’s ample rivers are perfect for a casual day of fishing and general exploration. The views are spectacular and the jubilant sounds of people swimming automatically puts a big, warm summer smile on your…
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Shibuya, Tokyo

In our ignorance, we assumed driving to Shibuya from Fussa would be the best way. Who needs the train when you have a car, right? Wrong. Japan’s established one of the best public transportation systems for a very distinct reason: traffic. Shibuya’s only about 30 miles from where we are. In Texas, this would’ve taken us…
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Shirahama Beach

Not two weeks of being in Japan, and the exploratory bug bit us. Hard. We were too anxious to see everything. First stop: Shirahama Beach In Korea, it took us flying out of the mainland to see a decent beach. But here, just a scenic mountain drive away is a gorgeous beach with crystal clear and…
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Fussa, Tokyo

I remember the first time I walked into my high school. It seemed like the biggest building I’d ever occupied. And then I went to college, and UT’s 40 acres seemed entirely impossible to navigate. Yet, those milestones seem so diminutive in retrospect. Now, here I am at Yokota Air Base – another campus I…
