Japanese Experience

  When I first came to Japan years ago, I had almost zero knowledge about Japanese food. All I knew was sushi came from this country. So when my  sempai  gave me a plate of takoyaki and told me they were squid balls, I immediately believed him. I already ate more than four tako balls when he laughed and said, “Marge, I thought you don’t eat octopus?” I stopped eating and almost threw up. Almost.  J  Then, I realized, much of our abhorrence about certain foods are not really because our taste buds don’t like them but more because of what our mind is telling us. Since then, I started eating  tako  (octopus) and I found out that it’s not really different from squid except that it’s a bit harder. But, of course, I still can’t eat the whole  tako  just like any Japanese person does. However, I don’t mind eating slices of taco mixed with rice, vegetables, or ramen from time to time. Source:  MK. (8 October 2016).  Japanese traditional food "takoyaki"  [Online image]. Retrieved from

   Spring is not complete without hanami or flower viewing. Though the literal translation implies watching flowers (all kinds) bloom in spring time, hanami in modern Japanese culture refers to reveling in the beauty of sakura or cherry blossoms. This is the season when the whole Japan is in a party mood to mark the end of winter and welcome spring. If you hate seeing hordes of people, then avoid parks at this time because for sure they are packed with picnic-lovers as they enjoy watching the beautiful sakura trees. I didn't know about the existence of sakura until I came to Japan years ago. So imagine my surprise upon seeing an ark-like arrangement of cherry blossom trees in the park close to my dormitory. I was really amazed at their beauty that my friends and I would even go out in the wee hours and walk around. It felt like heaven - walking under pinkish blooms. It was really an experience of a lifetime. If you plan to visit Japan and you're into natu

Though I've lived in Japan for more than a decade, I've only been to Sapporo once and that is because it was the setting of the Filipino movie Kita Kita starring Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez. Sapporo, as shown in the movie, was very picturesque - it looked like a paradise. Indeed, when I got there last week my first word about it was "Wow!". It was indeed breathtakingly beautiful! Let's talk about the places you must see in Sapporo. Odori Park I've been to a lot of parks in Japan, but none has made me feel as excited as Odori Park. Perhaps, it's the Kita Kita movie and the fact that there's just so much to do in this park. I saw a lot of people feeding pigeons, play in the fountain, huddle with friends and family in one corner, or just relax and watch people pass by.  Sapporo TV Tower I'm not good with direction and so I got lost in Sapporo many times! But thanks to the Sapporo TV Tower. It served as my guiding star because my