What is Costa Rica Like? Nature, Safety, and Daily Life from a Former Resident
A small Central American country, Costa Rica. Despite its area being only about the size of Japan's Kyushu and Shikoku combined (51,100 km²), it's home to about 5% of the world's biodiversity.
How to Visit Volcán Irazú: The Day I Couldn't See the Crater Lake
A trip to the volcano on Costa Rica's coat of arms. After a 2-hour bus ride to see the famous emerald-green crater lake, I found nothing.
Two Years in San Vito: 30 Minutes from the Panama Border, in a Mountain Town in Southern Costa Rica
Two years living as a JICA volunteer in San Vito, my assigned post in Coto Brus, southern Costa Rica. The mountain town 30 minutes from the Panama border, with its host family and people who love the word 'mae'.
Wednesdays in the Ngäbe Village: Rehabilitation Work in a Costa Rican Indigenous Territory
An hour up a mountain road from San Vito, the Ngäbe village where I worked every Wednesday. The clinic with one treatment table, and the structural inequalities of Costa Rican rural healthcare.
Christmas and New Year in Costa Rica: Tamales, Firecrackers, and the Festival of Light
Costa Rica's holiday season — Festival de la Luz parade, Christmas tamales made with the whole family, bullfights and nonstop firecrackers ringing in the new year.
Are Mochi Hazardous? The Day I Gave Up Japanese Food at Costa Rican Customs
January 2014, deep in my JICA posting in Costa Rica. A Christmas package from Japan got stuck at customs — 28 mochi need a Health Ministry permit. The reality of postal mail and tariffs in a developing country.
Building a Brace by Hand in Costa Rica: When the Town Has No Parts and the Public Brace Takes 8 Months
February 2014, on JICA assignment in Costa Rica. A stroke patient who could walk again — if only she had a short-leg brace. Hardware shops had no parts. I drew up a design, ordered struts, and built a 700-gram aluminum brace by hand. The full story of an SHB-only system and an 8-month wait for the public brace.
Costa Rica's Japanese School and The Color Run: Children and a Festival in San José
A visit to the Japanese school in San José for sports day, and the Color Run that turned the capital's streets into bursts of color.
Manuel Antonio National Park: Costa Rica During Semana Santa
A Semana Santa trip from San José to Manuel Antonio National Park — sloths, monkeys, and beaches packed with holiday travelers.
Costa Rica & Central American Food: Gallo Pinto, Ceviche, Rice & Beans
A guide to the dishes I ate across Central America — ceviche, gallo pinto, rice & beans — and a recipe to make gallo pinto at home.
How I Built a Simple Short-Leg Brace in Costa Rica: Materials, Cost, and Function in Photos
Working at a clinic in southern Costa Rica, I built a 8,000-yen ankle-foot orthosis from sandals, baseball pads and a metal post — and a stroke patient walked on it.
Caño Negro and Monteverde: A New Year Trip Looking for Wildlife
A New Year trip from Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge to the Monteverde Cloud Forest — boat tours, sloths, motmots, capuchin monkeys, and a night tour of frogs and snakes.
Going to Ostional for the Arribada: The Day I Missed the Olive Ridley Mass Nesting
A 14-hour bus trip across Costa Rica to see thousands of Olive Ridley turtles laying eggs — and arriving a week late.
Returning to Costa Rica After 10 Years: A Changed San José and the Same Pilsen
A 2025 trip back to Costa Rica, ten years after I lived there as a JICA volunteer. San José had changed; Pilsen and Imperial hadn't.
Crossing the Border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua: TICA BUS to Ometepe Island
My first border crossing in Central America: long-distance TICA BUS from Costa Rica to Nicaragua, then ferry from San Jorge to volcanic Ometepe Island.
One Day on Ometepe Island: Ojo de Agua and the Sights of a Volcanic Island
I arrived on Ometepe Island late on a Saturday afternoon. Sunday means no buses, so I hired a guide for about US$40 — pricey at first glance, but far more efficient than crossing the island alone by motorbike taxi.
Walking Granada: Colonial Nicaragua and the Soy Nica Leather Shop
A 6 a.m. ferry off Ometepe Island, then on to Granada — Central America's oldest colonial city. Cathedrals, the Convento San Francisco museum, vigorón, Toña beer, and the leather shop that alone is worth a trip to Nicaragua.
Managua and Masaya: Crafts Markets and Old Friends in Nicaragua's Capital
Leaving Granada behind, I stopped in the crafts town of Masaya on the way to the capital, Managua. Hammocks and ceramics in the market — and a Japanese dinner with old friends.
Walking León: Sandinista Memory and the City of Rubén Darío
A long-distance bus from Managua to León, in northern Nicaragua. León means 'lion' in Spanish, and a stone lion sits in front of the cathedral. Sandinista memory, Rubén Darío's house, the Heroes & Martyrs gallery, and a lobster lunch.
Touring the Flor de Caña Distillery: Tasting Nicaragua's Rum
The day before leaving León, I took a bus alone to Chichigalpa — the town that's home to Flor de Caña, one of Central America's signature rums. A 1890-founded distillery, oak barrels, and a 20-year tasting that changed my mind about rum.
Mexico City Historic Center: Walking the Zócalo, Templo Mayor, and Cathedral
A walk through Mexico City's historic center: the Zócalo, the Metropolitan Cathedral built atop Aztec foundations, the Templo Mayor ruins, and the Art Nouveau Palacio Postal.
The Basílica de Guadalupe: Tepeyac Hill and the Miracle of the Tilma
The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe draws tens of millions of pilgrims a year and ranks among the most-visited religious sites in the world. After two years in Costa Rica I'd grown curious about how Catholic faith blends with Indigenous belief in Latin America — this was a place I had to see.
Walking Mexico City: Revolución Monument, Local Breakfast, and Street Art
Mexico City is too big to just shuttle from one tourist site to the next. The side streets are full of breakfast stalls, walls covered in graffiti, and tented vendors — a face of the city you don't see from the headline attractions.
Mexico Souvenirs: Walmart Is the Hidden Gem
Tourist souvenir shops are overpriced and inconsistent. The local supermarket is often a better source. In Mexico City, Walmart is everywhere — perfect for a last-minute bulk souvenir run before flying home.
Ancient Mexico at the National Museum of Anthropology: The Sun Stone, Coatlicue, and Olmec Heads
My first trip to Mexico. The first place I went in the high-altitude capital was the National Museum of Anthropology — where the Sun Stone, Coatlicue, and the Olmec colossal heads stand right behind the glass.
Guanajuato, the "Jewel Box City": Pípila at Night, the Alley of the Kiss, and the Mummy Museum
Guanajuato, a UNESCO World Heritage city at 2,000 m, where colorful houses climb the hillsides like a jewel box. The night view from the Pípila monument, the legend of the Alley of the Kiss, and the surprising history behind the Mummy Museum.
Walking the Teotihuacán Ruins: Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, and Temple of Quetzalcóatl
About 50 km northeast of Mexico City, the ancient city of Teotihuacán flourished from before the common era. The Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, the Avenue of the Dead, and the Temple of Quetzalcóatl — a day spent walking one of Mesoamerica's largest ceremonial cities.
Palenque, the Maya City in the Jungle: Temple of the Inscriptions, Pakal's Tomb, and the Cross Group
A domestic flight from Mexico City to Villahermosa, then by road to Palenque. The Temple of the Inscriptions with one of the largest Maya royal tombs, the Palace with its observation tower, and the Cross Group — walking through Palenque, where the jungle is half-eating the ruins.
Campeche World Heritage Historic District: City Walls, Cannons, and Colorful Colonial Streets
A stop in the walled colonial city of Campeche on the way north from Palenque. The walls and cannons that defended the town against Caribbean pirates, the pastel colonial streets of the World Heritage historic center, museums of Maya artifacts and colonial-era weapons, and a first-time pollo con mole near a yellow-fronted street.
Uxmal, a Masterpiece of Puuc Style: Pyramid of the Magician, the Nunnery Quadrangle, and the Governor's Palace
From Palenque, north into the Yucatán by ADO long-distance bus to the inland World Heritage city of Uxmal. The oval-based Pyramid of the Magician, the Puuc-style apex Governor's Palace, the four-sided Nunnery Quadrangle — a record of late-Maya architecture seen from the top of the Great Pyramid.
Chichén Itzá, a New Wonder of the World: El Castillo, the Temple of the Warriors, and the Sacred Cenote
From Mérida by the first morning ADO bus eastward into the Yucatán to the World Heritage city of Chichén Itzá. The 365-step pyramid of Kukulkan, the colonnaded Temple of the Warriors, and the Sacred Cenote where the rain god received offerings — half a day inside the largest Late-Postclassic Maya capital.
The Caribbean and the Riviera Maya: Cancún, Crystal-Clear Cenotes, and Cliff-Top Tulum
From Chichén Itzá by ADO bus to the Caribbean coast. One night in Cancún's Hotel Zone, then a swim in a half-cavern cenote near Tulum where the water is said to be visible 100 m ahead, and finally Tulum's cliff-top Maya port — closing two weeks across Mexico on a coastline.
The Maya Trail Across Latin America: A Complete Guide to Ancient Maya Sites in 5 Countries
A cross-series guide to the Maya world, walked: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Pre-Hispanic cities organized by country and site, plus three model itineraries.
Walking Through Santiago: Chile's Supreme Court, Museums, and Historic Center
My first time in South America. Walking through Santiago: the Palacio de los Tribunales, neoclassical architecture, and contemporary art under that incredibly blue Andean sky.
Los Dominicos Crafts Market: Folk Crafts and a White Colonial Church in Santiago
A visit to Los Dominicos Crafts Center in the Las Condes district of Santiago. The work of local artisans and the white colonial church next door made for a beautiful afternoon.
Last Day in Santiago: Palta Reina and Pre-Christmas City Walks
Final day in Chile. A lunch of Palta Reina — avocado stuffed with chicken salad — and a walk through a mall already decorated for Christmas.
Arriving in Belize City: Caribbean Sunrise and a Walk Through Asian Grocery Stores
After Chile's dry blue sky, landing in Belize: the Caribbean at sunrise, English as the official language, and Japanese food found in Chinese-run grocery stores.
Caye Caulker and a Great Blue Hole Scenic Flight: Belize from the Air
A day on Belize's
Walking Belize City: The Swing Bridge and a Last Day
A last day in Belize City, looking at the historic Swing Bridge and reflecting on a country that mixes the Caribbean and Central America.
Visiting Panamá Viejo: 500-Year-Old Ruins and Spanish Colonial History
Panamá Viejo, the first Panama City, founded in 1519 by Spanish settlers and burned in 1671. Its stone ruins now stand against the modern Panama City skyline.
Walking Casco Viejo and the Mercado de Mariscos: A World Heritage Old Town and a Fish Market
Panama City after Panamá Viejo: the Mercado de Mariscos (fish market built with Japanese aid), Casco Viejo (UNESCO old town), and the Canal Museum.
Visiting the Miraflores Locks: Watching a Massive Ship Pass Through the Panama Canal
A trip to the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal's Pacific side, watching the JIUYANG BLOSSOM car carrier squeeze through the lock walls.
Joya de Cerén and Tazumal: El Salvador's World Heritage and Maya Ruins
A trip to El Salvador to visit a friend on JOCV: the Joya de Cerén UNESCO site (the
Climbing Santa Ana Volcano: Hiking to a Crater Lake with a Police Escort
Climbing Volcán Santa Ana — El Salvador's highest peak — to see its emerald-green crater lake, with a police escort along the trail and Volcán Izalco rising in the distance.
XSR900 Solo Tour in Chiba: Kasamori Kannon and the Bōsō Mountain Roads
A spring ride through Chiba on the XSR900. The destination: Kasamori Kannon, an old temple hall built atop a natural rock outcrop in a structural style unique in Japan.
Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2026: Bikes and Side Bags That Caught My Eye
An AMBOOT side bag, the CBR400R FOUR, a customized CT125. The things that stuck with me from walking the Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2026 floor.
Two Days in Niigata Summer: The Tsunan Sunflower Field and the Nagaoka Fireworks
Day one in the Tsunan sunflower field, day two at the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival. A two-day Niigata summer packed in.
Zao and Ginzan Onsen, Two Days: Okama Crater Lake, an Open-Air Bath in the Forest, and a Taishō-Era Night
Two days in Yamagata. Zao's huge open-air bath, the eerie Okama crater lake, and the night view of Ginzan Onsen — a hot-spring street that feels like it walked out of a Taishō-era postcard.
Visiting the Chibanian Stratotype: A Chiba Touring Day with a Wild Boar and a Bike Warning Light
Took the bike to the Chibanian outcrop in Ichihara, Chiba — the geomagnetic-reversal layer that gave its name to a slice of Earth's history. Got close to a wild boar, picked up something in the rear tire, and watched the engine warning light come on for good measure.
The Tōrōzaka Daishi Cut-Through Tunnel: Returning to Chiba's Photogenic Spot on the XSR900
The Tōrōzaka Daishi cut-through tunnel in Futtsu, Chiba. Three years after first visiting on an SR400, I went back on an XSR900. The bike had changed; the tunnel hadn't.
Cape Irago, Solo: A Year-End Coast Walk and a Lot of Wind in Aichi
Year-end, headed to Cape Irago in Aichi. Walked around in serious wind, and left with a craving for bakagai clams I ended up not eating.
Izu Peninsula Two-Day Tour: Ashinoko Skyline and the West Izu Route
A two-day tour through the Izu Peninsula on an XSR900. No grand theme — but day two on the Ashinoko Skyline turned out to be reason enough to come.
Touring the Noto Peninsula: Sōji-ji Soin Temple and Sashimi with Gold Leaf
August 2022 — riding the Noto Peninsula. The mountain gate of Sōji-ji Soin temple was massive, and the izakaya in Kanazawa served sashimi topped with gold leaf. The food in Ishikawa was good across the board.
Walking the Goshikinuma 'Five-Color Ponds' of Urabandai, Fukushima
In Kitashiobara, Fukushima, Goshikinuma is the collective name for a cluster of ponds in Urabandai. Each one carries a different color — emerald green, cobalt blue, milky blue — and the surface shifts with the angle and the weather.
Riding the Bandai-Azuma Skyline: Volcanic Country in Fukushima
The Bandai-Azuma Skyline (Route 115) in Fukushima is one of Japan's signature volcano-touring roads. Highland riding above 1,600 m, with stark volcanic landscape and sweeping mountain panoramas — ridden once on the SR400 and once on the XSR900.
Fitting a Power Beam to the SR400: Vibration Reduction on Long-Distance Touring
One of the standing complaints with an SR400 is the vibration on long-distance rides. After 300 km in one direction, both hands were numb.
![Ōarai → Tomakomai by Sunflower Ferry: First Day in Sapporo [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ①]](../images/hokkaido/tomakomai-ferry.jpg)
Ōarai → Tomakomai by Sunflower Ferry: First Day in Sapporo [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ①]
Solo Hokkaido on an SR400. The Sunflower ferry from Ōarai to Tomakomai, then onto Sapporo for the Red Brick Building and Ramen Ichiryūan. June 2021.
![Sapporo to Wakkanai via Ishikari and the Ororon Line [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ②]](../images/hokkaido/オロロンライン.jpg)
Sapporo to Wakkanai via Ishikari and the Ororon Line [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ②]
Sapporo north through Ishikari, the Roadside Station Airoad Atsuta, an ikura-don at Obira-Nishin-Banya, then up the Ororon Line past Teshio's wind farms to Wakkanai's North Breakwater Dome.
Cape Sōya, the White Road, the Esanuka Line
Morning uni-ikura don in Wakkanai, the White Road and Cape Sōya at Japan's northernmost point, the Esanuka Line bringing me close to tears. That night in Monbetsu, on the road up to the Okhotsk Sky Tower for stargazing, I came face-to-face with a Higuma. SR400 Hokkaido tour, day 3.
![Monbetsu to Biei: Blue Pond and the Patchwork Road [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ④]](../images/hokkaido/aoi-ike-pano.jpg)
Monbetsu to Biei: Blue Pond and the Patchwork Road [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ④]
From Monbetsu, a break at Saerubu-no-oka in Kamifurano, then on to Biei for the Blue Pond, the Ken & Mary Tree, and the Patchwork Road. A day connecting Hokkaido's icons in one ride.
![Furano's Farm Tomita to Tomakomai: Sunflower Ferry Back to Ōarai [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ⑤]](../images/hokkaido/furano-lavender.jpg)
Furano's Farm Tomita to Tomakomai: Sunflower Ferry Back to Ōarai [SR400 Hokkaido Tour ⑤]
Out of Biei, Farm Tomita lavender and soft serve, a Yūbari melon at a highway PA, and one last seafood bowl at Tomakomai before boarding the Sunflower. The last day of the SR400 Hokkaido tour.
![Ōarai → Tomakomai by Sunflower Ferry [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ①]](../images/hokkaido-xsr900/20250819_070951847_iOS.jpg)
Ōarai → Tomakomai by Sunflower Ferry [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ①]
Heading to Hokkaido on an XSR900. Boarding the Sunflower at Ōarai Port, bound for Tomakomai. The moment we cast off, the trip began.
![Tomakomai to Obihiro: Nibutani Ainu Museum and Tokachi Buta-don [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ②]](../images/hokkaido-xsr900/20250820_054937983_iOS.jpg)
Tomakomai to Obihiro: Nibutani Ainu Museum and Tokachi Buta-don [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ②]
Off the ferry at Tomakomai West Port, then on through the Yoshitsune Shrine and the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum in Biratori, ending in Obihiro for a Tokachi pork bowl at Ippin.
The Eastern Hokkaido Route
Obihiro to Nemuro by way of Kushiro. Seafood at Kushiro Suisan Center, an unplanned stop at Akkeshi Distillery and oysters, the lighthouse at Cape Nosappu, and crab in Nemuro.
![Eastern Hokkaido Touring: Cape Nosappu to Shiretoko Five Lakes [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ④]](../images/hokkaido-xsr900/20250822_073520142_iOS.jpg)
Eastern Hokkaido Touring: Cape Nosappu to Shiretoko Five Lakes [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ④]
Morning back at Cape Nosappu and the Northern Territories museum, then north to Shiretoko Five Lakes and the Road to Heaven — the 28 km straight-line road that gives it its name.
![Kaminoko Pond, Bihoro Pass, Abashiri Prison Museum [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ⑤]](../images/hokkaido-xsr900/20250823_022248708_iOS.jpg)
Kaminoko Pond, Bihoro Pass, Abashiri Prison Museum [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ⑤]
A packed loop: the cobalt-blue Kaminoko Pond, the foggy Bihoro Pass, and the open-air Abashiri Prison Museum — and the history of how convicts built Hokkaido's central road.
Lost a Wallet in Esashi
Out of Monbetsu up the Okhotsk coast. The wallet flew out of an open side case in Esashi — and an AirTag and a kind local turned a disaster into a story.
Down the Ororon Line
A long ride south from Wakkanai to Asahikawa on the Ororon Line, ending with dinner at the local izakaya 'Kogorō' in Asahikawa.
![Biei Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls to Tomakomai [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ⑧]](../images/hokkaido-xsr900/20250826_002032526_iOS.jpg)
Biei Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls to Tomakomai [XSR900 Hokkaido Tour ⑧]
Final day. Asahikawa to Tomakomai via Biei (Blue Pond, Shirahige Falls), collecting Hokuren rider flags along the way, then back to Ōarai by ferry. 2,400 km in total.
![Aomori to Hakodate by Shinkansen: Walking the City at Night [Hokkaido Car Trip ①]](../images/hokkaido-car/hakodate-night-view-2022.jpg)
Aomori to Hakodate by Shinkansen: Walking the City at Night [Hokkaido Car Trip ①]
A 3-night, 4-day Hokkaido car trip in August 2022 begins with a Shinkansen from Aomori to Hakodate. The Hakodate Mountain night view, Lucky Pierrot, and Hakodate Beer.
![Mt. Yōtei, Nikka Yoichi Distillery, and Otaru Canal [Hokkaido Car Trip ②]](../images/hokkaido-car/mt-yotei.jpg)
Mt. Yōtei, Nikka Yoichi Distillery, and Otaru Canal [Hokkaido Car Trip ②]
Day 2 leaves Hakodate at dawn, takes in Mt. Yōtei (Ezo Fuji) and the Mt. Kenashi viewpoint, tours Nikka Whisky Yoichi, the Yoichi Space Dome, and ends in Otaru.
![Shakotan Peninsula Drive: Bikuni Ōgon-misaki, Cape Kamui, and Sea Urchin at Kiyozushi [Hokkaido Car Trip ③]](../images/hokkaido-car/kamui-misaki-pano.jpg)
Shakotan Peninsula Drive: Bikuni Ōgon-misaki, Cape Kamui, and Sea Urchin at Kiyozushi [Hokkaido Car Trip ③]
Day 3 drives the Shakotan Peninsula. The Bikuni Ōgon-misaki, Cape Kamui's 'Shakotan Blue', and a uni-ikura don at Kiyozushi Branch in Bikuni.
![Hakodate Morning Market, Goryōkaku, and the "First Step on Hokkaido" Monument [Hokkaido Car Trip ④]](../images/hokkaido-car/goryokaku.jpg)
Hakodate Morning Market, Goryōkaku, and the "First Step on Hokkaido" Monument [Hokkaido Car Trip ④]
Final day of the Hokkaido car trip: morning at the Hakodate Morning Market with live squid fishing, the star-shaped Goryōkaku, Lucky Pierrot a second time, and the 'First Step on Hokkaido' monument.
Three Hokkaido Trips: Routes and Lodging from My SR400, Car, and XSR900 Tours
A summary of three Hokkaido trips — two by motorcycle, one by car. Routes, lodging, and standout spots, with maps.
Mori-no-Makiba Auto Campground Review: A Winter Solo Camp, Pricing, and Atmosphere
Mid-December, escaping the year-end noise, I tried a paid auto-campground for the first time. Mori-no-Makiba Auto Campground in Sodegaura, Chiba — a former pasture turned campground.
![Solo Motorcycle Camping Gear: Tent, Sleeping Bag, and Pad [Camp Gear ①]](../images/og/touring-camp-gear.jpg)
Solo Motorcycle Camping Gear: Tent, Sleeping Bag, and Pad [Camp Gear ①]
'OK, I'm going camping by motorcycle this year' — and I built out the kit from scratch. After two solo trips, here are the gear reviews from actually using everything in the field.
Bowmore 12: Queen of Islay, Sea Spray and Soft Peat
Founded 1779, Bowmore is one of Islay's oldest distilleries. Aged in the legendary No.1 Vaults, the 12-year carries sea brine and gentle peat in equal measure — the textbook Islay starting point.
Three Japanese Blended Whiskies at Home: Suntory Kakubin, Nikka Session, Nikka Frontier
Suntory Kakubin, Nikka Session, Nikka Frontier. Three Japanese blends side-by-side at home — what each one's for, where they sit in the modern Japanese whisky market.
AMAHAGAN World Malt Metalic Label: A World Blended Malt from Nagahama Distillery
From Nagahama Distillery (Shiga, Japan), AMAHAGAN's Metalic Label Edition. A world blended malt combining 30-year-aged malt, long-aged Nagahama malt, and sherry-finished heavily peated whisky — winner of the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2023 gold.
Ichiro's Malt & Grain White Label: A World Blended Whisky from Chichibu
Ichiro's Malt & Grain White Label, from Venture Whisky's Chichibu Distillery. A world blended whisky built around Chichibu malt with overseas casks from five countries.
Fuji Single Grain & Single Malt: Two Bottles from Mt. Fuji Distillery
Kirin's Mt. Fuji Distillery in Gotemba — the rare facility that runs three grain whisky styles (bourbon, Canadian, Scotch) under one roof. The 2020 Fuji Single Grain and Single Malt, side by side at home.
Ballantine's, Two Bottles: 21-Year Blend × Glenburgie 15 Single Malt
Ballantine's 21 Year and Ballantine's Glenburgie 15 Single Malt. Drinking the finished blend alongside its keystone single malt makes the brand's design legible.
The Macallan 12 Side-by-Side: Triple Cask × Sherry Oak Cask
The Macallan 12 in two cask styles — Triple Cask Matured and Sherry Oak Cask. Same distillery, same 12 years, same 40% ABV. Only the cask program differs. The cleanest way to taste what cask choice does.
John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend: A Bottle Made for the 200th Anniversary
John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend, released for Johnnie Walker's 200th anniversary. Inspired by 19th-century recipes, it's less a tasting target than a way to step closer to the brand's earliest style.
Ichiro's Malt Chichibu Red Wine Cask 2023: A Bottle Won in a Whisky Lottery
Ichiro's Malt Chichibu Red Wine Cask 2023, a French-oak red-wine-cask finished single malt from Chichibu Distillery — won through a Japanese whisky lottery and finally opened at home.
Shizuoka Single Malt UNITED S: Two Pot Stills, One Bottle
Shizuoka Distillery's standard line UNITED S, blending whisky from a wood-fired pot still (W) and a still relocated from the closed Karuizawa distillery (K). A snapshot of Japanese craft distilling at home.
Nikka Tsuru: A Premium Blend Bought at Yoichi Distillery
Nikka Tsuru, picked up at the Yoichi Distillery shop in Hokkaido. A long-aged premium blended whisky in a decanter-style crystal bottle, opened at home.
Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt: A Blended Malt Named for Nikka's Founder
Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt, named for the founder of Nikka Whisky. Built from malts of the company's two distilleries — Yoichi and Miyagikyo — and one of the foundational bottles of Japanese whisky.
Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Grande: Bought at Taipei Airport
Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Grande Travel Exclusive, picked up at the Taipei-Taoyuan Airport duty-free while waiting for the flight back to Japan. 45% ABV duty-free spec in a silver gift box.
Suntory Hibiki Blender's Choice: A Long-Aged Blend Behind the Red Label
Hibiki Blender's Choice, the mid-tier of the Hibiki line. Built around 12-year-old malts and grains with some 30-year stock and red-wine-cask finished components — Hibiki's house style, recomposed.
Sake from Niigata: Koshino Kagetora, Tenryōhai, Sapporo Fūmi-Sōkai Nishite, Yahiko Cup
Niigata is rice, water, and master brewers. On a leisurely trip around Niigata I rounded up four bottles — Koshino Kagetora, Yahiko Cup, Sapporo Fūmi-Sōkai Nishite, and Tenryōhai — and drank through them.
Four Japanese Whiskies on My Shelf: Yamazaki, Hibiki, Hakushu, Togouchi
The four Japanese whiskies on my home cabinet — Yamazaki, Hibiki, Hakushu, Togouchi. Of Suntory's
Nikka From The Barrel: Parallel Import vs. Domestic Bottle, Side by Side
Same whisky, different labels — I lined up a parallel-import bottle and a Japanese-domestic bottle of Nikka From The Barrel and compared them. A 51.4% blended whisky built on the unusual Re-vatted process.
Buchanan's Deluxe 12: A Blended Scotch from a Friend in Belize
In August 2014, a friend in Belize handed me a Buchanan's 12. A look back at the blended Scotch beloved across Latin America as the gift bottle — green glass, red cap, and the history they carry.
Ron Abuelo Añejo: A Reserva Especial I Bought Myself in Panama
On a January 2025 trip to Panama I picked up a Ron Abuelo myself — Varela Hermanos S.A.'s flagship rum (founded 1908), the Reserva Especial in a 375 mL bottle.
Highland Park 12: An Orkney Single Malt, a Gift from a Friend
Highland Park 12, made on Orkney, Scotland's far northern islands. A single malt of complexity and quiet pride, shaped by heather peat and Viking land.
Three Whiskies from Yoichi Distillery: Limited Blended, Single Malt 3-Pack, Pure Malt Red & Black
On a Hokkaido road trip in August 2022 I stopped at the Yoichi Distillery and walked out with the distillery-exclusive blended, the Single Malt Yoichi tasting set, and the reissued Pure Malt Red & Black.
Hot Sake at Home: Manjukagami F60 and Hakkaisan Yukimuro 3-Year
A cold front is in. The kind of night that calls for hot sake — and not microwaved either, properly warmed. Bought two bottles to do it right.
Hokkaido Touring Gear List: 2,400 km of Field-Tested Essentials [Gear ①]
The gear that actually mattered after two motorcycle trips across Hokkaido. Bags, wear, rain gear, camping gear, bear deterrents, and gadgets — by category.
Surviving Long-Haul Flights: Small Tweaks to Make Economy a Little More Comfortable
Small things to bring on board that make a long-haul flight in economy noticeably less brutal. Inflatable neck pillow (Tabine), wired earphones (final E3000) with a 2-pin adapter, AirFly Pro, alcohol wipes for contact lenses, heel-droppable 2-way shoes (KEEN HOODMOC HS), and a Samsonite + LOJEL two-suitcase setup — based on actual experience.
![Why You Need Bear Spray on a Shiretoko Tour: UDAP 12HP [Gear ③]](../images/og/hokkaido-bear-spray.jpg)
Why You Need Bear Spray on a Shiretoko Tour: UDAP 12HP [Gear ③]
At the entrance to the Shiretoko Peninsula stands an official sign reading 'Carrying bear spray is recommended.' What I learned about brown bears on a Hokkaido tour, and the UDAP 12HP I packed.
![Tips for Hotel Stays Abroad: Hand-Wash Laundry, Quick-Dry Clothes, Locks and Tipping [Gear ④]](../images/og/hotel-stay-tips.jpg)
Tips for Hotel Stays Abroad: Hand-Wash Laundry, Quick-Dry Clothes, Locks and Tipping [Gear ④]
Practical tips from long stays in Latin America: quick-dry clothes, hand-wash kit, clothesline, TSA locks, and how to think about tipping.
Choosing a Spanish Dictionary: Paper, Electronic, and App, Picked by Someone Who Lived in Central America
When you're learning Spanish, picking the right dictionary actually matters. From actually using each kind in Central America, here are three things to look for.