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History is woven into the very fabric of Ome

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Jul 6, 2018

History is woven into the very fabric of Ome

by Kit Nagamura

Ome has a long history of high-quality textile production, and today's designers are trying to preserve old fabrics and techniques while still giving them a contemporary update.

A small slice of Showa Era life, preserved in Ome

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Jun 1, 2018

A small slice of Showa Era life, preserved in Ome

by Kit Nagamura

Ome brings "Showa Retro" to life with vintage movie posters, goods and trains.

Slow-paced Izu Oshima is anything but sleepy

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES May 11, 2018

Slow-paced Izu Oshima is anything but sleepy

by Kit Nagamura

A mere Jetfoil away from Tokyo, travelers to Izu Oshima island can expect volcanic hikes, fresh local cuisine and an abundance of hospitality.

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    Police cars in a forest in Hitachiota, Ibaraki Prefecture, where a woman's body was found, on Saturday
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PODCAST

Swordplay and samurai in Tokyo's Maruyamacho district

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Apr 6, 2018

Swordplay and samurai in Tokyo's Maruyamacho district

by Kit Nagamura

Traditional businesses are heating up in Shibuya's old geisha quarter.

On the hunt for Gaien Nishi-dori's taste-makers

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Feb 2, 2018

On the hunt for Gaien Nishi-dori's taste-makers

by Kit Nagamura

In Tokyo, people set up funky cafes with all kinds of sideshows — curry, cats, goats, hedgehogs and maids come to mind — so when I catch a whiff of a good cup of joe escaping from a huge glass and concrete box near ...

Warming to Sugamo's venerable shopping street

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Dec 8, 2017

Warming to Sugamo's venerable shopping street

by Kit Nagamura

Gifting, and therefore shopping for gifts, seems part of the gestalt of winter. In Tokyo, though, retail wonderlands tend to be packed and pricey, full of ersatz Christmas music, harried customers and long lines. I opt instead for a low-key commercial street near Sugamo ...

Changing times in Setagaya's Shoin Jinjamae

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Nov 3, 2017

Changing times in Setagaya's Shoin Jinjamae

by Kit Nagamura

There's something alluring about the suburban stops between Sangenjaya and Shimotakaido stations, which has been serviced by the Tokyu Setagaya tramway for the past 110 years. Low-rise buildings and modest platforms tick by as the tram trundles at a leisurely pace westward from where I ...

Never mind the love hotels: Negishi is home to haiku, tea and famous pines

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Oct 6, 2017

Never mind the love hotels: Negishi is home to haiku, tea and famous pines

by Kit Nagamura

Alighting at one of the JR Yamanote Line's quietest stops, Uguisudani Station, I chat with the stationmaster about its name, which means "Bush-Warbler Valley." Apparently, the area used to have limpid streams and a bucolic setting that attracted the feathered songsters, also known as ...

Akasaka: Sublime and surreal spots in Tokyo's government district

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Aug 11, 2017

Akasaka: Sublime and surreal spots in Tokyo's government district

by Kit Nagamura

A diplomat friend and I enjoy lunch at the Akasaka Capital Tokyu Hotel, in the governmental hub of Tokyo. As we part, he tips me off that there's a little-known footpath from the hotel, leading uphill to the Hie Shrine, one of Tokyo's most ...

A visit to a preschool leads to lessons in noh and nothingness in Higashi-Gotanda

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Jun 30, 2017

A visit to a preschool leads to lessons in noh and nothingness in Higashi-Gotanda

by Kit Nagamura

A gentleman I met at an educational conference invites me to tour the backstreets of Higashi-Gotanda, where he has opened a brand new preschool. Exiting A7 of the JR Yamanote Line's eponymous station in the early hours of a cool spring morning, I strike ...

A trip to formal gardens yields finds of other kinds in Mejiro

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Jun 2, 2017

A trip to formal gardens yields finds of other kinds in Mejiro

by Kit Nagamura

Early summer, before the rains arrive and the squadrons of mosquitoes hatch, is a blissful time to stroll Tokyo's formal gardens. I launch off in search of one I've heard of in Toshima Ward, near Mejiro Station. The Yamanote Line stop has no connecting trains ...

Pineapple cakes, pirouettes and petals in Aoyama

Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES May 5, 2017

Pineapple cakes, pirouettes and petals in Aoyama

by Kit Nagamura

The one time of year I'm happy to linger in Aoyama Cemetery is when the venerable rows of old cherry trees growing around the gravestones blossom. Before heading there, though, I decide to first get in the mood with a bit of personal spring ...

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Much more than pyramids: Egypt builds the future

The Egyptian Embassy is easy to find in Tokyo. On a tree-lined street in Daikanyama, a grid of ornate...

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