Tokyo Fox (東京狐)

Of the many trips I’ve undertaken around Japan one of the most memorable has to be the time when my parents visited the country for their second time.

Many of the parks and children’s playgrounds in Japan, particularly in Tokyo, are quite poor compared to other countries in terms of space, surroundings and a lack of grass.

The ever-changing poses of Tokyo Fox!

Having flown to Kyushu for a three-day trip in June 2024 I didn’t anticipate returning so soon but with a day to myself (whilst in Hiroshima with family) I decided to treat myself to a day trip to Fukuoka Prefecture.

Collecting ink stamps has long been popular with both kids and adults alike in Japan but I always thought they were mainly just for promoting upcoming events on a temporary basis.

When it comes to ramen, there are many tastes and regional variations whether it be shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), tonkotsu (pork bone broth) in Kyushu or miso ramen which is served up in Hokkaido.

One of the most favourable reviews for my self-created #OrangeDay in June was that it “broke all conventions and brought a new paradigm to sports watching.”

A lot has been said in the last few years about overtourism in Japan as millions of people from overseas have taken advantage of the weak yen to visit the likes of Tokyo, Osaka and of course Kyoto.

Sadly, I didn’t get to see Oasis on their reunion tour last year so am left to just reflect on the half dozen concerts of theirs I did see back in the day with the most monumental one being 30 years ago when they played in front of 250,000 people at Knebw…

The sight of a couple of matches in the recent FIFA World Cup being heavily disrupted by thunderstorms was something of a new experience for many sports fans outside certain parts of the United States.