Author Archive | penelope

Starbucks in Traditional Gion

I went to Gion, the old district of Kyoto, with a friend over the weekend. As we walked down the cobbled streets enjoying the classic style of the shoin buildings with intricate wood-work and gorgeous lanterns, we noticed a familiar logo placed in a traditional Japanese paper-board display. In the middle of a street filled […]

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Apocalypse Arcade in Tokyo

In Japan, there is a week which consists of holidays nearly every day. It’s known as “Golden Week” and, fortunately for me, there is no school for the whole week. This week-long vacation provided the perfect opportunity to head up to Tokyo. Tokyo is easily one of the most amazing cities in the world. My […]

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Study Abroad Bucket List

Studying abroad can take you to some amazing locations. Before preparing to go abroad, you may have an idea of some of the exciting new locations that you want to check out in the country you are going to be studying in. When I was preparing to go to Kyoto, I bought tourist books, looked […]

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Food In Japan > Food Everywhere Else

So many things have surprised me since arriving in Japan, but one thing that particularly stands out is how absolutely delicious all the food is here. Before arriving in Japan, I knew that there would be really great traditional Japanese dishes such as sushi, okonomiyaki, and ramen. However, I was not prepared for the diversity, […]

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