The first "subway" in Japan was a 2.2 km line between Ueno and Asakusa, two areas associated with working-class traditions and culture at the time. As an admirer of Japan's train system, the Tokyo Metro, as it became to be known in 1986, is unbelievably efficient and reliable, transporting over 7 million passengers a day. Tokyo Metro Museum Exhibits The Tokyo Metro Museum has 7 separate exhibit spaces, each displaying a different theme.

Recently, as part of my work as a Hiroshima Study Abroad Ambassador, I got the opportunity to volunteer at a Food Bank in Japan. The Hitomusubi Food Bank is located in Higashi...

Recently, my quest for a new stamp for my Goshuincho has lead me to Shingu Shrine in Higashihiroshima. Shingu Shrine (video here) is a small shrine with a very nice atmosphere and...

I have now travelled to more than half of Japan’s 47 prefectures. I don’t really have a goal to visit them all but I’d love to travel as many as possible because Japan is more...

The written word is a powerful thing. The now cliche Edward Bulwer-Lytton quote that “The pen is mightier than the sword” is well known by all. In the case of “How to Love a...

Mikane Shrine (御金神社) is a small shrine in Kyoto near Nijo Castle that the guardian deity of metals and minerals. At the entrance like all Shinto shrines is a torii gate, but this...

In Episode 26 of The Bon Bon Show, Aaron and Kirk dive into the electric energy of in-person gaming conventions as Kirk recaps his experience attending Tokyo Game Show 2026! Celebrating 30 years of TGS and marking 15 years since Kirk’s very first show back in 2011, the guys compare how the floor culture at Makuhari Messe has evolved, why physical convention energy beats pre-recorded streams, and the valuable lessons Kirk learned about ticket tiers and survive-the-floor strategies.

One of my favourite anime and manga series is Full Metal Alchemist. I’ve collected and given away postage stamps featuring the characters and I watched the bad but not terribly...

Are you a huge fan of Gundam? Have you not seen the Giant Unicorn Gundam currently on display in Tokyo? Shame on you! Save every penny you have for as long as you can until you...

Climbing to the top of Mount Fuji is easily one of the highlights of my time living in Japan. I get a lot of questions about the climb and wanted to do this post to point people...

As a photographer myself I am fascinated by very old photographs especially at the dawn of photography. I surfed into a goldmine of photos recently that combined my love of...

Tokyo Game Show 2026 has officially wrapped up! I love TGS. It is loud, massive, hands-on, and totally unapologetic about being all about video games. Back in its glory days, E3 used to feel like this before it faded away. (Aaron and I actually chatted about the golden era of E3 on a recent episode of the Bon Bon Show…

Nijo Castle is a massive complex in Kyoto Japan built in the early 1600’s as the home of the first Shogun of the Edo Period Tokugawa Ieyasu. The entire Nijo Castle grounds include...

Shimanami Kaido is an epic cycling route that connects Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture to Imabari City in Ehime. You can start the 70+ km journey from either end but I...

My love for Japanese trains has been slowly growing over the years. With such a sophisticated railway network one of the main things I’m looking forward to when I get to Japan is...

I have acquired a Gold Injection Color gunpla kit. The RX-78 is arguably the most easily identifiable and most popular Gundam model. I remember when the JAPAN: Kingdom of...

Kanji Starter by Daiki Kasuya had been sitting in my Amazon wishlist for years. Seeing it pop up on social media and most recently on KiaraNYCjp’s discord made me take the plunge...

Having a model train set and a miniature railroad is so soothing. It’s kind of like why people have fish tanks but cooler! Trains in Japan are so awesome and were a big reason I...

ALT: Yakuza Kiryu

Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most popular anime franchises in the world. It has been around for over 40 years and has given us countless iconic mecha designs. I recently...

I am a huge fan of the Sekiro Shadows Die Twice video game, if you could tell by the 100-plus hours on multiple playthroughs and various posts on this blog. Most days I still rate it higher than Elden Ring, but they are such different games. I don't think it is fair to compare them unless you want to sit with me over drinks and talk for hours.

Takamatsu Shinmei-jinja Shrine was apparently built in the year 941! It has hundreds of years of history and has seen it being burnt down and rebuilt at different times throughout...

I’m having so much fun playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and one of the best things about the game is that it comes in Japanese with English subtitles as default right out of the...

Late last year I was invited to be part of a short film project. It was about Japanese Emperor Gotoba, who was exiled to Oki Islands after the Jōkyū Disturbance in 1221. The...

Recently, I collected two Goshuin (shrine stamps) at Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine on the grounds of Hiroshima Castle the morning of my graduation from Hiroshima University to mark the...

On July 22nd on the Tokaido Shinkansen, services were suspended between Hamamatsu and Nagoya stations due to a derailment involving two maintenance trains. As my “luck” would have...

A new train modeling addiction has taken root in my head that I will explain in more detail in a future post and video. But today I take my 1st steps in a bigger journey, by...

I have worked on various podcasts and audio shows over the years. However, the Bon Bon Show is special. It’s a collaborative podcast with a laid-back vibe and a simple...

I started playing Pokemon when I was 12 years old. Back then the Game Boy was king. It was a time when playground and afterschool Pokemon battles raged worldwide. As I got older I...

Living While Black, in Japan has its own challenges, but they don’t include fearing for your life. That’s how I would write a one-sentence synopsis of a recent NPR documentary...

Learning Kanji is a difficult process but after trying various methods of study I have found success with the Unko Kanji Drill Books. A few months ago I posted about the books and...

Alt: Street Fighter Bison: It Was Tuesday

Living in Japan has it’s “charms” but sometimes an interaction or experience that might seem funny or cute to one person might be the opposite for another. Sometimes that same...

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Ray Hoe left Japan to return to Singapore on July 18 after failing to renew his business manager visa following abrupt changes to the

This year the Golden Week in Japan was a 10 day stretch of holidays due to the New emperor ascending to the throne and the change of eras from Heisei to Reiwa. For 3 of those days...

My L nendoroid was acquired over a year ago and due to my clumsiness and fiddling I have managed to break or lose all the neck joins that came with the figure (4 of them I...

On its last day of being exhibited, I visited an absolute titan of Tokyo pop culture: the life-sized RX-0 Unicorn Gundam statue standing proud in Odaiba. Having towered over DiverCity Tokyo Plaza and illuminated the bay area for years, it has truly become an iconic fixture of the Tokyo skyline. Naturally, I couldn’t let it depart without making the trek out to pay my respects and capture a few final videos and photos one last time.

A long time ago in a galaxy far away I fancied myself a poet. Claude McKay was a name I was familiar with as someone who won many awards and received local and international...