Walking anywhere in Japan is my favorite thing to do while I’m visiting. There’s so much awesomeness to discover on foot that you’ll never find or see in a car, bus or train. Discovering little hidden treasures like this backstreet kissaten are magic. I love those coffee signs!

It’s been a year since I’ve last posted anything to the News and two and a half years since my last trip to Japan. Time has been flying by the past two plus years—full of work and less time for personal things. The upside is that I’ve had two years to be thinking about where I want to explore next in Japan. I’ve got my list and am hoping to check off a few new spot later this Fall. I found this amazing Nebuta mask in the window of a little bar tucked away in the back streets of Aomori. Looking forward to wandering around Japan again soon.

This is a photo from my trip last Spring to Hirosaki Castle. I’d been wanting to go see the cherry blossoms there for a few years after learning the castle is one of the best hanami places in Japan with it’s 2,500 plus cherry trees surrounding the castle. I couldn’t have gotten any luckier. I was so lucky to be there right at full bloom. Then two days later more than half of it was all gone from rain and wind. It was such an amazing thing to see. Spring time in Japan is magical—pink trees everywhere!

‘The Face of the Past’ seems to be the side less seen of Taro Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun from the Expo70 fairgrounds. When I finally got to visit it in Osaka two years ago I had never seen the back side of the tower. It was pretty magical when I did. I entered the park from the central entrance by cab and had to walk over to the Tower of the Sun through the park. All I could see as I approached was the backside of the head to the Face of the Future over the surrounding trees. Then I came to the open grounds where people where hanging out and playing as the huge tower loomed over everyone.

A neon green sky is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. Checkout a few more of my favorite shots from the trip here.