One Canadian's life in the countryside on Kyushu island, Japan.
There seems to be what feels like a sudden change in the air here in Usa city. With the warmer temperatures come blossoms and flowers of all shapes and colours, and the rice fields that were laid bare during the winter is now lush with thick, green waves of wheat. So, I believe it's high …
The change of weather into hotter days has given more opportunities to explore areas of Oita prefecture haven't yet visited. That's exactly what I did on a beautiful 22 degree Sunday. A 20 minute drive takes me to Bungotakada, where Showa no Machi (Showa-era Village) is. The popular shopping district preserves many nostalgic shops of …
In October of 2018, rice harvesting season was upon us here in Usa. One warm, sunny day in the still balmy heat of autumn, I decided to go out for a walk. Around the corner from the apartment are several rice fields, and I noticed a harvest in progress. After asking for permission to watch …
Hello! And apologies for the silence these last few months. As most of you may know (and some may not), I'm on an brand new adventure: I got a job as an English teacher!!! <Cue dramatic music here> "DAN DAN DANNNNNNN." If you told me I would be working as a teacher a year ago, …
In November, the last major sumo tournament of the year takes place at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. The wrestlers battle it out over 15 full days to decide the eventual champion. We were lucky enough to get tickets (thanks to a teacher in Usa City with an inside contact) and went to Fukuoka early Saturday …
Ever since arriving in Japan, I had a romantic idea of sleeping on the floor on top of a futon bed. To clarify, I don't mean the low, wooden sofa beds of the Western-style futons. I mean the real, lay-on-the-floor, heavy duvet sandwich with you in the middle. Whenever I visited a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn), …
A few weekends ago, new friends (Michi and Mac) from the gym invite us to go sweet potato hoeing. I'm curious to know what a Japanese farm looks like. On a Saturday morning, we meet Michi at the gym parking lot who drives us to Mac's farm. Expecting to be driving a ways, I am …
We are lucky to be in Kyushu, as it homes some of the most famous pottery styles and techniques in all of Japan. One of these is Onta-yaki, a small town rich in decades of pottery history. On a cool, cloudy weekend day, we took a 2 hour drive to Onta. As we drive, we …
Seafood is a surprisingly affordable product in grocery stores, and there's a great variety available to us here. Not all attempts of cooking has been what I'd call a success, but it's a fun experience nonetheless. One way we've learned to cook with seafood is with a hot pot, or nabe (なべ) as it is …
On a Saturday morning, we head to a cafe called Fukamido, after being invited to their opening the previous night at an English conversation meet-up. Our ears perk up when they mention coffee, and we don't want to miss the opportunity to try out good cafes. It's pouring out, a perfect day for a coffee indoors. …
