Tales of a Wandering Nerd

We had lunch in the cafeteria of Ritsumeikan University a university with close ties to UBC before heading out to see Kinkauji the golden pavilion.  It stood majestically overlooking the pond and it shone even in the dimmer light.  There were tones of Japanese students and dozens of different schools and uniforms.  At a local…

built by a powerful Shogun to maintain an era of peace after 120 years of civil war, Nijō castle is full to the brim with security measures and symbols of power to dissuade any potential uprisers.  Some of the unique safety precautions is that the floor boards themselves are set up in such a way…

After dinner we returned to our hotel before going shopping in the nearby mall. I got a yukata but it is proving difficult to wear, I have the utmost respect for any one who can put one on properly. Tia and I decided to seek out the Bengal cat cafe that we had seen on…

After breakfast we took a bus and found ourselves in a traditional Yuzen style print shop where they do printing on kimonos, yukatas and other items. We were given instructions and a plain white handkerchief and were allowed to decorate our own Japanese style handkerchiefs with their collection of multi-step stencils. The results were colourful,…

Tia and I returned to the Star restaurant, the site of one of our previous dinners and our attention was immediately drawn to the beautiful displays of large strawberry parfaits and cakes. The store was already bustling with other customers enjoying their meals but there was still room for us. After much contemplation and some…