Mt. Fuji hides behind clouds most of the summer - locals call seeing it a lucky charm. Here is how I used cloud forecasts and a 4am alarm to catch it, plus where to stay between Fujiyoshida and Kawaguchiko.
Kyoto is everything you imagine an ancient Japanese capital to be. Here is where we stayed near Gion Shirakawa, the walking route from Yasaka Shrine to Kiyomizu-dera, and why the touristy street is still worth it.
Why we stayed in Ebisu instead of Shinjuku, which Tokyo sights actually deserve the hype, and a Kamakura day trip with hydrangea temples, Slam Dunk fans, and food-stealing kites.
From a six-seat sushi counter in Kyoto to Michelin-connected warabi mochi in Tokyo, here is everything we ate in Japan - what to try, what to skip, and how to reserve it all.
Planning a first trip to Japan? Here is how we handled restaurant reservations, Tabelog, Suica cards, and airport trains - all the unglamorous work that made the trip run smoothly.
A quiet winter visit to Bacharach, one of the prettiest small towns in Germany's Rhein Valley. Follow my wandering route past Castle Stahleck and up through the vineyards for that famous Lonely Planet cover view.
An update on my career switch from marketing to data science, and some changes coming to this website. Less resume showcases, more life stories and things I actually want to share.
A hidden nice Japanese restaurant. It tries to stay low but the food was incredibly good.
Somewhere “very Mainz”, and the food was decent and big portion.
Didn’t go up to the standards we have, either too salty or the flavor was wrong. Not mentioning that everything was overpriced.