Zenbu Blog
Korakuen Garden Okayama
Okayama is famous for its castle (peeking over the shoulder of the tree on the right in the image below), sweet, sweet summer peaches, the story of Momotaro – the Peach Boy), Bizen ceramic ware, various citrus fruit and this spectacular garden –Korakuen – ranked as one of […]
Japan Blue
Every so often we get swept away with the colour in Japan. We cannot tell a lie. In fact it’s an every day occurrence whether we are in situ or looking at 30 something years worth of Japan travel photos. Or merely dreaming. Last week it […]
Sandor Does Kyoto
Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of introducing Fermentation Guru Sandor Katz to just a small snippet of some of Kyoto’s wonders. He was on a mission to try some Funazushi (fermented sushi) so we tracked some down at a shop specialising in foods […]
Nijo Castle in Winter
Naturally I’m rather fond of Japanese architecture but for some reason traditional buildings of the castle variety have never really grabbed me… Nijo Castle is different. For one… it’s not your A-typical castle. It isn’t a wedding cake perched high on a hill overlooking the town, […]
ZENBU HOME
Dear Friends, We’ve finally opened our little dream store – an online shop selling beautiful Japanese things we’ve collected during our travels through Japan. ZENBUHOME.COM It’s rather small (yet sweet!) at the moment.. Stunning vintage, 100% silk Kimono – all handmade and absolutely divine to wear […]
Naoshima
It had reached the point of embarrassment. The business of ‘not yet’ having visited the ‘art island’ of Naoshima. Many of my clients had made the trip and raved, or were seeking my advice on a regular basis… ‘what’s it like?’ ‘when’s the best time to go?’ ‘where should […]
Catching up with myself…
Well it seems like light years since I published my last blog post here. Things became just a little bit crazy leading up to the 2017 winter tours…. In the latter part of 2016 I’d sold my flat, finished building a new home, slipped in a secret wedding, […]
Breakfast in Kyoto…tbc…
Locals generally eat breakfast at home in Kyoto -town so unless you are staying in a hotel, ryokan or an apartment a sit down breakfast, like you might be used to in your own country, can be difficult to find. There are a few boulangerie and fast […]
Red, White and Black Japan
Last week I was blissing out on all the calming green of Kyoto and this week I’m seeing RED. Red, white and black that is. Dramatic, graphic, striking and stimulating. In Japanese culture the colour red represents energy and lifeforce ( it also wards off evil spirits […]
Cafe Bibliotec Hello
From the moment I found this cafe I wondered why I’d waited so long to visit… truth is it seemed so well established on the Kyoto cafe circuit that I figured I’d look elsewhere. In most countries this wouldn’t be my first reaction to a much […]
