• A Weekend in Beacon

    For Labor Day weekend, I took myself off for a short vacation to the town of Beacon. Just a 1.5-hour train ride from New York City on Metro North’s Hudson…

  • Kumamoto Castle, Under Construction

    “Please visit Kumamoto Castle,” my colleague urged when I told her we’d be driving through Kumamoto City on the way back from Nagasaki during the Golden Week holidays. The popular…

  • Touring Niagara, Part 2: French Castle

    “It’s snowing!” I yelled excitedly over my shoulder, peeking through the curtains. “Oh yeah?” my sister responded with mild disinterest. You’d swear she never grew up in Johannesburg. The fluffy…

  • The Nishimera Village Revival

    In the Ichifusa Mountain Range of Miyazaki, alongside the Hitotsuse River, seven picturesque hamlets are scattered across a 272 km² area filled with forests, streams, rice fields and vineyards. Collectively,…

  • Nagoya Castle and Hommaru Palace

    After destroying an entire tower with the flick of his tail, Godzilla approaches a tall, white building with full force. But then he stumbles and falls into instead, nonetheless sending…