When the virus first spread, the prevailing consensus was that it was a respiratory disease, but more and more reports are indicating that the virus attacks more than just our lungs. Science published an article on 24 April 2020 that foreshadowed this development. It was morbidly, but aptly, titled “A rampage through the body”.
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Embarking on a Studio Ghibli movie marathon
Pop quiz. How many anime movies has Studio Ghibli produced?
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Eleven days in Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto
After you’ve been to Tokyo and Hokkaido, the next logical region to visit in Japan is Kansai, where the cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto are all within a short train ride of each other.
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Okonomiyaki so good, we had to go twice
No visit to Osaka is complete without having okonomiyaki, one of the city’s signature dishes. It is greasy, crunchy, tasty and made right in front of you on a sizzling hot plate. There are carbs, veggies and meat in one messy package, making it a complete meal.
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Different shades of Kaiseki in Kansai
Kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理) is a multi-course meal that highlights local ingredients through different tastes, textures and techniques. Each restaurant will have its own take, while still keeping within the broad confines. They don’t repeat, but they often rhyme.
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A leisurely day trip to Arashiyama
Arashiyama is a popular tourist spot in western Kyoto and made for a nice and easy day trip from our downtown hotel.
Our two main objectives of going there were to ride the Sagano Romantic Train and to take a walk through the famous bamboo forest.
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Dinner and drinks in Pontocho alley
A trip to Kyoto would not be complete without a night out in Pontocho alley, a long and narrow stretch lined with numerous restaurants and bars.
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Kyoto soba three ways
From their menu, you can infer that they get quite a lot of gaijin tourists, because there’s a helpful guide in English on how to eat soba. What’s missing from the guide though, is the most important fourth step: slurp the noodles as loudly as possible.
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The complete ryokan experience at Shiraume Kyoto
Tomoko-san is an impeccable host and runs her beautiful inn perfectly. I’ve heard the term omotenashi used many times before, but nowhere is this more evident than at Shiraume.
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Green tea pilgrimage to Ippodo Kyoto
I’m addicted to coffee but I do enjoy an occasional cup of tea, especially if it’s from Taiwan or Japan. Since we were spending a few days in Kyoto, it would have been incomplete if we didn’t pay a visit to the Ippodo Tea main store on Teramachi Street.
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