I am not a big city person. I do not like large crowds. And yet.

In the process of preparing for a trip to Japan: insurance, entry paperwork, itineraries, that sort of thing.

Originally, the plan was to explore some smaller, off-the-beaten-path destinations. But plans change.
Now, it will be a week in Tokyo and a week in Osaka, both with side trips. The focus will be on museums, art exhibitions, funky jazz kissas, and cool coffee shops.

Two weeks…a quick trip. In short: to wrap ourselves in Autumnal megalopolis. But not too tightly.

Additionally, there will be waaay too much food. Last trip, I became obsessed with Japanese soufflé pancakes. By no means a traditional fare, to be sure. But they were as addictive as crack with a dollop of matcha ice cream.

As usual I will let my plant-based dietary inclination’s slide for the duration so as to maximise the experience of eating in Japan.

“There are a dozen factors that make Japanese food so special- ingredient obsession, technical precision, thousands of years of meticulous refinement- but chief among them is one simple concept: specialization. In the Western world, where miso-braised short ribs share menu space with white truffle ceviche, restaurants cast massive nets to try to catch as many fish as possible, but in Japan, the secret to success is choosing one thing and doing it fucking well. Forever. There are people who dedicate their entire lives to grilling beef intestines, slicing blowfish, kneading buckwheat into tangles of chewy noodles- microdisciplines with infinite room for improvement.
The concept of shokunin, an artisan deeply and singularly dedicated to his or her craft, is at the core of Japanese culture.”
― Matt Goulding

Oh, and I’ll also devote a little time to improving my own photography shokunin(職人) throughout the trip. So, fair warning….there is a flurry of enthusiastic posting inbound.