All posts by Carl Williams

  • All-you-can-eat 5-7 varieties of strawberry

    Strawberry picking is gaining momentum and has muscled its way into one of Japan’s essential seasonal activities, alongside cherry blossom viewing, and autumnal foliage watching. However, rather than being a passive pastime, it’s a great family activity....

    • Posted March 8, 2023
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  • A stress-free guided tour of Mount Fuji and Hakone in a day.

      I’m not one for bus tours or so I thought; school trips, silver seniors and memories of the Dominican Republic where Felix our tour guide took us to his cousins’ rum store filled with ‘authentic’ souvenirs...

    • Posted February 5, 2019
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  • Partying in Rio de Janeiro

    There is nowhere on earth quite like Rio de Janeiro. The very mention of the name conjures up images of unparalleled hedonism, tropical splendour, beautiful people and of course carnival. Add to this the darker side of...

    • Posted January 30, 2019
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  • We had fun gripping stuff in Tokyo.

    Reaching for the brightly-coloured plastic obtrusion just a few millimetres from my finger tips, I heard those sweet words of encouragement from one of my tribe: “Come on! I thought you were supposed to be Spiderman.” With...

    • Posted September 4, 2018
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  • Cruise Travel

    The new generation of cruise liners

    • Posted June 9, 2017
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  • Add Dubai To Your Bucket List

    Dubai conjures up images of absurd excess, a playground for the rich, built on the whim of the visionary king. Set within the dazzling  desert state of the United Arab Emirates, this intoxicating blend of new age...

    • Posted December 12, 2016
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  • Star Kids International Preschool

    Tokyo mum makes room for early learners in Minato-ku. Because this is Tokyo, there’s always a new restaurant to try, an entertaining event to watch and loads of stuff to do. Parents – this month, you have...

    • Posted September 7, 2015
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  • Wet n’ Wild

    Water is the name of the game this summer. It doesn’t take too much imagination to have fun with this  plentiful  element, last month’s triple 300m ‘slide the city’ event in  Odaiba was testament to  that. Now...

    • Posted July 10, 2015
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  • Line Up

    If you are itching to get back in line since queues for Taco bell and Guzman & Gomez, Blue Bottle cafe et all have all but died down, try the line for croissants in Azabudai’s Maison Landemaine,...

    • Posted June 8, 2015
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  • Cinema Paradise

    New life is being breathed into the cinema in Tokyo with the opening of two new cinemas: in Ebisu, the reopening after a 4-year hiatus of the bijoux Yebisu garden cinema, offering a refined selection of foreign and independent...

    • Posted May 11, 2015
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  • TACO-A GOGO

    The hot culinary trend this season looks like it’s going to have a Mexican theme. Spurred on by  the return to these fair shores of that favorite mall grubstop ‘Taco Bell’, lauded by many as the ultimate in junk cuisine. Opening...

    • Posted May 11, 2015
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  • Get your Skates on Again

    By now we are all used to the ice rinks that appear around town over the winter months but that doesn’t mean they are any less appealing.What better way to spend an afternoon sliding around trying to...

    • Posted December 15, 2014
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  • State-of-the-art planetarium now open

    Spaced Out To keep its street credibility up to par Tokyo Dome opens the city’s latest museum, the Space Museum TeNQ. This exciting state-of-the-art new space with an unimaginative name is basically a new style planetarium with...

    • Posted July 12, 2014
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  • Harry Potter Park

    Wizarding Wonderland Harry Potter is Japan’s latest resident, having been giving the Abe endorsement, the third theme park to open based on JK Rowlings boy wizard will open this month in Osaka’s Universal studios Japan and promises...

    • Posted July 12, 2014
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  • Splash of Colour

    You no longer have to endure the Tsuyu (rainy season), embrace it by adding  a bit of colour.  Since the introduction of festival fashion from the likes of a young Kate Moss back in the day, good...

    • Posted June 5, 2014
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  • Hot Feat

    Fancy something different to the usual stroll in the park then head for Mt. Takao to the annual fire walking festival, Hiwatari-sai. Held at Yakuoin temple set on Mt.Takao, marvel at the Yamabushi monks as they walk...

    • Posted March 3, 2014
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  • Max Brenner opens in Tokyo

    CHOCOCULT Fans of chocolate don’t have to wait for the end of the year to indulge as Max Brenner’s first chocolate emporium opens at the beginning of December. Max Brenner, for those not in the loop, is the...

    • Posted December 15, 2013
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  • Too much of a good thing

    Just in case you fancy eating someone else’s pancakes rather than your own, yet another pancake store has jumped on the bandwagon, to make the choice all the more harder. This one is  a little different admittedly ...

    • Posted October 6, 2013
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  • Tiger Tiger Burning Bright

    The beginning of the month sees Tiger Copenhagen (Flying Tiger Copenhagen  for  Tokyo purposes), the Danish super cheap and super cheerful discount store with a sense of design, coming to town. We no longer have to travel to...

    • Posted October 6, 2013
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  • Mummy knows best

    Pharaoh fever is upon us, thanks to this summer’s ancient Egyptian exhibitions. Follow in the archaeologists’ footsteps to a world of sarcophagi and snorkeling, and let Egypt answer the holiday needs of all mummies (and daddies)! Egypt...

    • Posted August 31, 2009
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  • A Little Piece of Tokyo

    There has never been a better time to climb aboard the Japanese property ladder. The combination of the economic downturn, over- zealous construction companies and reduced building costs has led to a huge shopping bonanza in the...

    • Posted August 31, 2009
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  • Chinese delight

      As travel prices fall out of the sky, take your young emperors and empresses to the new Shanghai and let them feel the energy and savor the style of this mega-city. Over the last two decades...

    • Posted April 29, 2009
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  • Hong Kong Fooey

    Steaming dim sum, dazzling harbour views and peaceful island retreats. Hong Kong is the perfect city break. It’s been over a decade since Hong Kong was handed back to China, the confusion has passed and the “one...

    • Posted March 30, 2009
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  • NESTING: the big issue What you need to know when building a house in Tokyo

    Housing is a big issue whichever way you look at it. We want our “nests” to be the place where we, and each of our family members, most want to be. Our choice of residence affects the...

    • Posted August 27, 2008
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  • Boogie Wonderland

    Get on down with the kids!

    • Posted August 3, 2008
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