japan, you’re a babe

I’ve been thinking a lot about Japan lately. Maybe because this year marks 20 years (how did that happen?) since I left Australia to begin my expat life – first stop the pretty university town of Kanazawa.

During the two years that I was there, I learnt to speak the language, accept the fact that I was taller – and blonder – than every other person in the world, ate a lifetime’s worth of sushi (I mean this literally) and spent six months helping a friend do coral reef research on the tiny island of Kikai-jima.

It would be more than a decade and a half before I would visit again. So much has changed – forget social media, blogging and the internet 2.0. We didn’t have email or digital cameras back then. I do have some photos in albums back in Australia. I’ll have to scan them in next time I’m home. For now, here’s a bundle from my recent (AKA 2012) visit to Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagano.

I hope you liked the photos. In keeping with the Japan theme, I’ll also be publishing my gyoza recipe this week. Stand by!