Picturesque Japan

Hello, travelers. I published the cat edition of "TOKYO PHOTO LOCATIONS" and you can download it for free until 11:59 pm on May 10 (PDT) . The text is exactly the same as the previous book "Tokyo Photo Locations: Photographer's Guide" but many of the photos were replaces with the ones with cats. Even if you are not really interested in photography, you can simply enjoy seeing the photos. Hope you enjoy my new Kindle book! P.S. Even if you don't have a Kindle tablet, you can read this on your smartphone or computer using the Kindle app.

Hello, travellers. This is Kumi. I usually talk about sightseeing spots or Japanese culture, but let me talk about myself today. This is about how I was motivated to learn English. In 1988, I happened to have a chance to go to Scotland to stay with a family to learn English. It was my very first flight in my life and my very first abroad. I wasn't excited. I was just scared and regretted to have said "I want to go study abroad" expecting my parents were not rich enough to send me there. The first leg was from Tokyo to Anchorage, and then to London. And a short flight to Edinburgh. Mr and Mrs Reid were waiting for me at the airport with lovely smiles. They lived with their daughter (the same age as me), and a cat called Ginger. When the cat meowed, I thought "hmm... cats all over the world meow the same way." Somehow, I still remember that moment very clearly. It was a lot of fun to stay with them. There was no Google translation, no apps, no Internet. A...

Hi travelers, this is Kumi. If you're staying home and looking for a new activity, why don't you try making miso paste? This is my mom's way. :) /// Ingredients /// soy beans 200g koji mold 200g salt 100g /// Day 1 /// Wash soybeans. Soak soybeans for 18 hours. /// Day 2 /// Simmer the soybeans for 4-5 hours. Skim off foam. While you're doing this, mush koji mold. Add salt. Mix them. Now, let's get back to the soybeans. When the soybeans become soft enough... Strain water (*keep the water) Mush soybeans. Mush, mush, mush... Mush, mush, mush... Once the mushed soybean got soft and cold , add it to the koji and salt. (*if you do this when the soybean is still hot, fermentation won't happen properly) Mix them well. Add the drained water and knead the mixture well. Put this into a bag. Remove the air completely. Put the bag in another bag and leave it for 6 months. ...

Hi Travelers, this is Kumi. I published a Kindle book on Tokyo photo locations in January. Let me show you the chapter of cherry blossom spots in Tokyo. In this book, a traveler/photographer, Cat, asks questions to a guide/photographer, Kumi.   C: Cat - traveler/photographer K: Kumi - guide/photographer * * * * * * * * * C: When should I visit Tokyo to see cherry blossoms? K: That's really hard to answer because the peak season is very different depending on the years. In 2017, cherry blossoms were full bloom around April 10 whereas, in 2018, the peak was around March 25. C: How long the flowers last? K: About a week or so. This website tells you a lot about seeing cherry blossoms in Japan. You can check out the cheery blossom's forecast. https://www.japan-guide.com/sakura/ C: Nice. Now, please tell me where to go and see cherry blossoms. K: If the flowers are full boom, I highly recommend visiting  Chidorigafuchi . https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1736/ ...