Budapest, Hungary. I am probably visiting this city for the umpteenth time, and I am always amazed, taking in the architecture and meanings of this beautiful place. Like Vienna or Prague, it makes you feel the long gone era of its imperial importance, its airs of a truly Central European old city and above all, …
I took two vacations when I was young. I never recall being disappointed about it, but looking back with a lifetime of experience I realize it was the best my single mother could do at the time. I was fortunate. The first came when I was 14. Mom wanted to go back to Minnesota and …
Olympus 35RC and a Couple Rolls of Kodak Ultramax – The Radical Retro Red Vacation Read More
Hokkaido – the ‘new’ or ‘northern territories’ – was largely uninhabited by Japanese until the late 17th century and was annexed by Japan becoming an official ‘region’ about 150 years ago. It is the second largest island in Japan, about two thirds the size of England, with a population of 5 million, and is just …
Yurakucho is an area and station name, close to Tokyo station, between the expensive Ginza shopping area, the Imperial Palace, and the Marunouchi office, financial and shopping district. The area contrasts starkly with previous areas I have written about – it’s not a specific set of streets but restaurants and bars are scattered over the area and many are in the arches under the main train line. The focus is rather more food than drink and the clients generally don’t go to get drunk – though a proportion do end up that way – and are mostly out for a relatively inexpensive meal and drinks with friends and colleagues.
On the east side of Shinjuku station is an area of half a dozen narrow streets, the “Golden Gai” in the Kabukicho district, formerly the post-war black market area and later prostitution district, now just small run-down drinking bars. On the west side is “Omoide Yokocho” (memory lane), essentially a single alley barely wide enough for two people to pass each other, known colloquially as “piss alley”.
