Tea In Tokyo

Kyoto Part 3 - Arashiyama, Bamboo Grove, and a Traditional Meal

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 08:55:02 GMT

The finale of our Kyoto trip. We explore the famous Arashiyama district, eat Shojin Ryori, a popular Buddhist monk vegetarian meal, and explore the Arashiyama bamboo grove.

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Kyoto Part 2 - Ginkakuji, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, and More!

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 12:52:12 GMT

The second of our three-part Kyoto series. We spent another day temple-hopping going to Ginkakuji, Eikan-do Zenrin-ji, Nanzen-ji Temple, Heian Shrine, and Kiyomizu-dera. We also visited the famous Gion district and tried visiting Nijo Castle.

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Kyoto Part 1 - Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto Imperial Palace, and More!

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 13:38:59 GMT

This is the first of three parts of our trip to Kyoto. On day one we visited the Kyoto Imperial Palace and had a unique dinner. Then we had a packed second day, visiting five temples - Daigoji Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Komyo-in Temple, Tofukuji Temple, and Toji Temple.

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Tokyo Tower, Bird Watching, and Getting a License in Japan

Sat, 14 Nov 2020 19:42:34 GMT

We visit Tokyo Port Bird Sanctuary to quench Saumya's desire to take some animal photos. Ellie had enough after one day so Saumya visited another park (Kasai Seaside Park) alone the next two days. We finally go to the top of Tokyo Tower and we have one of our greatest meals in Tokyo at a vegan restaurant in Shibuya. Next Saumya tries to get a license but has to cut through a lot of red tape and lastly we discuss the future closure of Saumya's learning studio.

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Shrines and Waterfalls in Nikko

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:00:03 GMT

We take a short overnight trip to the nearby prefecture of Tochigi and the small city of Nikko. We first visited the famous shrines of Tosho-gu, the mausoleum of shōgun Tokugawa Leyasu, Rinnoji Temple, and one of Japan's most famous bridges, The Shinkyo Bridge. The next day we got in touch with nature by sightseeing at two amazing waterfalls, Kegon Falls and Ryuzu Waterfall.

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Voting, NZ Election, and an Elaborate Escape Room

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:54:59 GMT

We talk briefly about voting in the recent New Zealand election. Then we chat about the exciting and extensive, Lupin the Third based, escape room we had the pleasure of doing.

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Odawara Castle, Hakone, and our first Naked Onsen Experience

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:42:24 GMT

We had a weekend getaway at Hakone, a popular day-trip destination for Tokyoites. First, on the way we visit the 15th century Odawara Castle. Then it was off to Hakone where we took photos under the famous shrine peace torii, ate black eggs on a volcanic mountain, and Saumya had his first nude onsen experience.

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Food, Food, Food, Planetarium

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 03:33:17 GMT

We talk about some of the amazing restaurants we've been to recently and we visit the planetarium in Yurakucho.

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Obon, Government Stimulus Cheque, and Zushi Beach

Sat, 22 Aug 2020 09:11:02 GMT

Last week was Obon, a celebration of ones ancestors. Ellie and I saw an uptick of people at work, we finally received our government stimulus cheques, and we go to our first beach in Japan.

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Coronavirus Update, Psychology Tests, and Tokyo Parks

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 10:21:03 GMT

We give an update on the growing cases of coronavirus in Japan and on how our Eikaiwa is handling the situation. We also did a psychology test for work and discuss whether it’s all bullcrap or not. Finally I tell Ellie about my day visiting Shinjuku Central Park, and the largest park in Tokyo, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.

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Castles, Temples, and Forests in Nagano

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 23:56:31 GMT

We continue on to Nagano. We go to our first castle in Matsumoto, and visit the grand and beautiful 7th century Zenkoji Temple. We then walked through epic cedars on our way to Togakushi Shrine, and got anxious about bears.

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Site-Seeing in Karuizawa

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 22:36:14 GMT

We begin our visit to Nagano prefecture in the mountain town of Karuizawa. Famous for its snow sports in Winter, during summer, it offers a great escape from the humid heat of Tokyo. We shopped in the relatively cheap outlet mall, Prince shopping plaza, bussed up to the beautiful Shiraito Falls, and saw absolutely nothing at the Usui Pass Observation Platform.

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Work Certification, Best Sushi We've Had, and Trying to be Vegetarian in Japan

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 09:55:27 GMT

We're required to take a test at work in order to get our contracts renewed. We also go to Tokyo Tower in the rain and stumble on the greatest sushi we've had so far. Lastly, Saumya talks about his struggle with dieting.

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Shinagawa Aquarium, Japanese Design, and Planning a Trip

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 23:53:44 GMT

We've been working non-stop in June so on our one day off we decide to visit the aquarium. We also discuss Japanese design, and we plan our upcoming trip to Karuizawa.

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How To Get a Teaching Job In Japan - Gaijin Guide

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 19:02:00 GMT

In this Gaijin Guide we cover what you need to get a teaching job in Japan and the different teaching opportunities available, including and benefits and costs of each.

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Back to Work (again) and Hanging Out at Tama River

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 21:13:00 GMT

Our eikaiwa is open again so we're back working again after two months. Also it's great being able to hang out with friends again. For more information on #blacklivesmatter please visit their website.

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Mt Takao and Ota-Ku Parks

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 12:03:50 GMT

The state of emergency in Tokyo ends so we venture out to some of our local parks here in Ota-Ku. We then went to the number one spot to visit around Tokyo, as voted by our students.

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Online Lessons, River Walk, and other Rambles

Sat, 23 May 2020 13:07:00 GMT

Ellie has training for online lessons so we go to Shinagawa where we find a nice river to walk along, we discuss how being home for so long has affected us, and we ramble on topics from food to traveling after the pandemic.

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Finding an Apartment and The Cost of Living in Japan - Gaijin Guide

Tue, 12 May 2020 22:20:00 GMT

We share our knowledge on how to find an apartment in Japan, what you'll need to do once you arrive here, and how much money you should realistically be saving. If you've ever wanted to move to Japan, this is a must-listen episode.

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Update

Sat, 02 May 2020 04:08:40 GMT

We give you a quick update on whats happening with our lives.

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The Post Pandemic Plan

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 05:55:17 GMT

We each pick out our top three places we want to visit once everything goes back to normal.

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State of Emergency in Tokyo

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 07:22:28 GMT

Tokyo is in lock down, we're out of work, and we discuss the current state of the world and what we anticipate for the future.

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Should We Stay, or Should We Go?

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 13:32:01 GMT

We discuss whether this pandemic is reason enough for us to move back to New Zealand.

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Working Again, IKEA, and Medical Malpractice?

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 22:00:33 GMT

We have a slow week of work which opened after three weeks, Ellie goes to the doctor but is unsure how to feel about the experience, and we're excitied for our first ever IKEA experience.

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Week 3 of Work Closure and 3rd Month in Japan

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 06:24:02 GMT

We have another week off work due to coronavirus. We talk about the way Japan is handling the pandemic and how we're dealing with it personally. We then briefly talk about what 3 months in Japan has been like.

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Coronavirus Intensifies, Mt Fuji Viewing, and a Yogogi Park Picnic

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 07:02:46 GMT

We share our thoughts on the continued impact that coronavirus is having on the world. Also this week, we went to view cherry blossoms but found views of Mt Fuji instead, and we had a nice wee picnic in the park.

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Kawagoe and Coronavirus Update

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 23:57:37 GMT

We venture off to Kawagoe, visiting the old bell tower, which used to be the symbol of the town, and we go for a relaxing walk to see the local shrines. Also, we found out our Eikaiwa, like many businesses, has closed its doors for the next two weeks due to coronavirus.

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VR Theme Park, Izakaya, and Coronavirus

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 22:00:06 GMT

We won the lotto (technically), and this week we celebrate a friends birthday by going to a VR theme park followed by our first proper izakaya in Japan. Saumya goes adventuring on his own while Ellie has work, and we spend some time talking about coronavirus.

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Asakusa, Yummy Vegan Food 2.0, and a Gross Home Cooked Meal

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 23:00:40 GMT

We talk about our lazy carefree mornings and spending valentines at Asakusa, where, for the second straight Friday, we eat vegan food. Then it was hard not to mention the worst meal Ellie's ever cooked.

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One Month Teaching, New Friends, and Vegan Food

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 22:11:37 GMT

We discuss our first month of teaching English and Saumya makes some new friends. Plus we had a foodie week topped with a delectable vegan dinner.

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Exploring Temples in Kamakura

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 02:38:33 GMT

We go to Kamakura and Enoshima Island, visiting some temples along the way. Ellie has an unpleasant experience on the train.

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Thoughts on Teaching English, and Celebrating Chinese New Years in Yokohama

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 04:11:11 GMT

Saumya shares his thoughts on Kobe Bryant. We have our first week of teaching students English, and we notice some possible cultural differences between Western and Asian societies. Lastly, we went to China Town in Yokohama.

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Training for our New Jobs

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 04:38:53 GMT

Our care free days in Japan are sadly over, as we start our new jobs as English teachers! We have a week of training and are excited to start this new part of our lives. We did, however, manage to find some time at the end of the week to go exploring; visiting Yoyogi Park.

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#3 - Unexpected Shrine, Digital Art Museum, and a couple of Disneytastic Days

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 05:08:03 GMT

We just returned from the Frozen 2 café and had to vent our frustrations. The rest of the week was our "best week ever" which started off getting caught in a crowd for an unexpected visit to a shrine. The next day we ventured out to the Mori Digital Art Museum where we spent 7 hours amongst the amazing artworks. Finally we were blown away by how magical Disneyland and DisneySea were, where Saumya had a therapeutic experience.

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#2 - Surprise Hentai, New Years, and a Cat Garden

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 13:45:25 GMT

We're shocked to find some hentai, have a drunk New Years, and are pleased to find some cats.

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#1 - Introduction, First Week, and a low-key Christmas

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 16:30:56 GMT

Our first impressions of Tokyo, getting settled, and having a low-key Christmas.

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