Beautiful roses and night Illumination at Kyu Furukawa Gardens

Oriental styled gardens are aplenty in Tokyo with Rikugien, Hamarikyu a couple of the major attractions. Kyu Furukawa Gardens in the suburbs are famous for the roses which bloom in spring and autumn. I have visited this place 3 times until now, in year 2000, 2006 and this year during the night time illumination season usually

Nearby in Kabukicho : Hanazono Shrine

Going around in Kabukicho in a salaryman suit can be an uncomfortable experience. Popular red light district of Shinjuku it was right next to the place where I used to visit a customer for my weekly meetings. Within all the noise of the services of the entertainment district and LED lights is a blissful and a

Nirvanam – Original South Indian, Kerala style food in Tokyo

Indian food equates a Nan and Curry for majority of the Japanese. Majority of the North Indian states do have this as their primary diet, but the Southern part of India the dietary styles and tastes are very different. Nan used to be a novelty until the 90’s in many South Indian states. Japan has

Roppongi Hills : Enjoy Authentic Hyderabad Chicken Biryani in Tokyo

There are so many Indian restaurants in Tokyo run by Pakistani’s, Nepali’s and Indian’s and most have the staple menu of NAN and CURRY, with some restaurants also selling the locally popular saffron rice. to know who has got authentic items takes an Indian and I have been visiting many restaurants in the city and have

Autumn : Marunouchi and Tokyo Station in Maidenhair yellow colors

Autumn in the Tokyo Metropolis is a mix of the architecture and nature. The Marunouchi area (area surrounding the Tokyo Station) has many trees of Ginkgo Biloba or Maidenhair which change colors in the autumn (usually mid November to first week of December). Marunouchi district is located between the Tokyo Station and the Imperial Garden

11 Night views of the Tokyo Tower : Shining in the shadow of the Skytree

The popular JPOP group SMAP song “Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana” starts with something which means In life you do not need to be number one, but a ‘special’ only one with your own unique differentiation Indeed so.. the Tokyo Tower has been the soul and the sole tower for the Tokyo City until

Get your Tokyo Station 100th anniversary SUICA!!

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 23 : WE FINALLY RECEIVED OUR SUICA CARDS VIA MAIL. A SEVEN MONTH WAIT! UPDATE FEBRUARY 17, 2015 : Over 4.99 million orders for SUICA cards, will take over a year for delivery in phases!!! UPDATE : Jan 30, 2015 : we have booked our two SUICA cards. Order can be maximum 3 cards

Tokyo in snow : Nishi Kasai, Seishin cho goes white and silent

February 14, 2014. The local weather in Tokyo had reported snowfall through the night and we were prepared for the next morning to be a rough one with snow accumulated on the neighborhood streets. What we were not prepared however was the amount of snowfall and the overall impact it would have on the city.

Discover India in Japan : Ashes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at Renkoji

The Indian footprint in Japan is quite varied and includes not only cultural aspects but even political scenarios. One such political footprint in Tokyo is of the Indian freedom fighter, well known in India, Subhas Chandra Bose who was born late in the 19th century when India was occupied by the British, and has lead

Tokyo in Snow : Tokyo Station goes silent and white

This (below) is what the Tokyo Station looks like on a normal evening as seen from the Maru Biru 7th  observation floor. The Tokyo Station, in 2014, completed 100 years from the time it was built in the last century and the design has been restored to its original beauty.It snows not more than 2-3 times

Tokyo in Snow : Ginza goes silent and white

Snowfall in Tokyo is rare and it usually does not happen more than once a year. The city grinds to a halt even with a few centimeters of accumulated snow. The rare event makes for a unique view of the city’s popular tourist spots and the popular shopping district of Ginza is relatively deserted and

Discover India in Japan : Tsukiji Honganji. Indian architecture in a Japanese temple

Interested in seeing the Indian architectural influence in Tokyo? Next to the Tsukuji Fish Market, walking towards Ginza, is a temple which from the exterior has a distinctively Indian feel to it. The Tsukiji Honganji Temple has Indian roots and according to the information we collected at the temple the Hindu architecture influence is due

KILOMETER ZERO : Nihonbashi (Japan-Bridge) in Tokyo

On the way back from a day trip to Mount Fuji, the expressway sign says another 15 km to Tokyo. We did some research on the internet to know how these distances are measured and what is the base location for these signs. We found out that the location of Kilometer Zero for JAPAN was Nihonbashi

Discover India in Japan : Kanda Myojin Shrine near Akihabara

Buddhism carried many ideas from India to Japan and its easy to find many of those even today in the most interesting places. Akihabara is the place for geeks, anime, electronics and what not, but just a five minute walk is a thousand year old shrine The Kanda Myojin where we found the Indian God Mahakaal