Blog de las Letras

"J.R.R. Tolkien has become a sort of mountain, appearing in all subsequent fantasy in the way that Mt. Fuji appears so often in Japanese prints. Sometimes it’s big and up close. Sometimes it’s a shape on the horizon. Sometimes it’s not there at all, which means that the artist either has made a deliberate decision against the mountain, which is interesting in itself, or is in fact standing on Mt. Fuji." -Terry Pratchett     When the great Terry Pratchett said this, he was describing Tolkien's impact on fantasy, but it also illustrates how ubiquitous and important Mt Fuji is in Japanese art and culture. Mount Fuji imagery is used everywhere throughout Japan, so it felt like visiting this huge volcano was a must during our visit. We considered booking a hotel and spending a couple of days at Mt Fuji, but quickly realized that clear skies and good views this time of year can't be taken for granted. So, instead we opted to stay flexible and go on a day trip from Tokyo whe...

    Kurobe gorge is touted as "Japan's Number One V-Shaped Gorge" and after visiting we have to say we agree (although we haven't actually seen any of Japan's other V-shaped gorges). We timed our visit towards the end of our stay in Japan so it would coincide with the peak oranges, yellows, and reds of fall foliage, which did not disappoint. The area is geothermally active and home to many natural hot springs. Steam can almost always be spotted rising from the river and hillsides, creating a hazy, mystical look. Suffice to say, our photos don't really do this place justice. Our bento box for the train ride     Getting to Kurobe gorge from Tokyo is a bit involved and expensive and would have probably been unfeasible if we had just stayed for a couple of weeks in Japan. We're grateful our extra time made the trip possible. We stayed at a ryokan , or traditional Japanese inn, in the middle of the gorge. The ryokan is not accessible by car- to get there, we h...

     On our first night in Tokyo, we stumbled, bleary-eyed, out into the night in search of something to eat. The flight from Korea was pretty short and there was no time difference- we just felt out of sorts for some reason. Our first stop- a sushi restaurant recommended by our host- was shuttered and dark. So we made our way to the other side of the river until we passed a place that looked crowded and therefore popular. It turns out it was popular, but it was mostly crowded due to being very, very small. A U-shaped bar separated the kitchen from patrons, and there was just about enough room between the bar and the walls for one person to stand and another to squeeze past. Small tables in alcoves by the door approximately doubled the capacity. Fried ginko nuts and the house sake     We squirmed through the press of people to an open space in the corner of the bar. To our dismay, the menu was entirely in Japanese. Google Translate has been great, but it really ...