Long Time No Taco

"Hold on, I'll Man-splain" - Ieyasu-kun It's unusual for me to talk about a city and not go straight to talking about the food. I promise I will get to that. First, I want to talk about Hamamatsu, "The City of Music". Having taken my third trip there last year, I noticed more and more, the city has an authentic identity. Home to Yamaha, Roland, and Kawai, Hamamatsu has flourished thanks to these internationally recognized companies, and the city has shown their support in kind. I laughed out loud when someone pointed out that my hotel in the Act Tower, was very literally designed in the shape of a harmonica, down to the elevators lighting up the teeth as they ascend. That is so wonderfully  Hamamatsu! The manhole covers and other promotional materials, depict Hamamatsu's  kawaii,  mascot-version of Tokugawa Ieyasu (pronounced: E.A. Yeah, Sue), the powerful Daimyo who conquered and occupied Hamamatsu in the 1570s. His piano-key pants a nod t...

For Part 1 about Izu's Mishima City, Click Here.  Welcome back to Shizuoka, Japan's peninsula of Izu! As some kind locals pointed out, these are only a fraction of fun things to do, based on the sights I was able to squeeze into my last trip to Japan, and it still required a second part! So strap in, because our next stop is Shuzenji! Outside the entrance to Shuzenji, the Buddhist Temple  Like Mishima, Shuzenji is one of those seemingly tranquil towns, hiding massive quantities of history, sights, and culture! Straight away you will notice the rural feel, beautiful Katsura River, and the romantic, red bridges and hand rails running along it.  Shuzenji is said to be founded by Kobodaishi, the prominent Buddhist monk of Japanese folklore. This semi-historical figure, like America's Johnny Appleseed, had a mysterious knack for locating onsen , natural hot springs, up and down Japan. The name of the foot onsen below, "Tokko", means iron club, because Koboda...

Most foreign tourists fly by the peninsula of Izu (pronounced, "e-Zoo"), on their bullet trains from Tokyo to Kyoto. Some headed to nearby Mt. Fuji may start counting the stops left to their destination, without ever realizing the culturally meaningful, historic, and authentic opportunities to experience Japan they are literally passing by. Here are several spots I visited that are well worth your time: Mishima City: Before bullet trains, or any trains, most people traveling between Kyoto and Edo (now known as Tokyo) walked . This included everyone from peasant farmers to religious leaders and feudal lords, so the shogunate (contemporary national government) designated 53 official stations along this path. One of those stops, and a main hub on the road, was Mishima City, and a major reason for its popularity was the Shinto shrine, Mishima Taisha (the "Grand Shrine of Mishima") . These days, Mishima Taisha is a one hour train ride south of Tokyo. Entering t...