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13 April 2025

Greetings from Japan!

I am writing this on the bullet train to Tokyo, after a splendid 5-day stay in Kyoto. We were lucky enough to hit the city at peak Cherry Blossom season, and Kyoto was a riot of every shade of pink, from almost white to vibrant rose and everything in between! How fortunate to explore the city decked out in its finest!

As you read this, my mother Frances, and I are boarding Seabourn Quest for our cruise around Japan and on to Alaska (map of our itinerary below), but we wanted to spend a week exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara as well. We’ve had a delightful time: the trains have been a revelation and we’ve had many public transport adventures, including a trip back from a delightful half-day excursion in Nara.

Pre- and post-cruise stays are a great way to kill a lot of birds with one stone. One reason I like to sail everywhere is that I do badly on long-haul flights; I arrived in Tokyo shattered after what was a pretty simple flight from Riga via Warsaw. But it’s taken me about a week to get onto Tokyo time!

A pre-cruise stay is also a good way to explore the embarkation city in more detail. In our case, the cruise leaves from Yokohama, so if we flew in on the day of embarkation, we would see nothing of Tokyo, let alone Kyoto or Nara. I booked our land services through my old employer, Alexander + Roberts, who specialize in small group itineraries throughout the world and are masters in crafting independent exploration as well. As expected, they executed our trip flawlessly, with wonderful guides and local staff to help us navigate the train journeys and arrival transfers. I can’t recommend them too highly, so if you are considering a pre- or post-cruise stay, get in touch with them!

Tokyo is an amazing city: vibrant, modern, creative, and very buzzy, but if you are looking for the heart of historical Japan, Kyoto is a must.

I’ll be writing a longer piece on the website about Kyoto, but I thought I’d jot down some highlights here, while they are fresh in my mind.

Destination Curation: Spotlight On Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan's cultural heart and former imperial capital, weaves together over a millennium of history, tradition, and artistic excellence. From 794 to 1868, the city was the seat of Japan's imperial court, fostering an unparalleled legacy of cultural refinement that resonates today. Everything in Kyoto is refined, elegant, and well-thought-out.

The city's golden age began when Emperor Kanmu established his capital in Kyoto, naming it Heian-kyō. Modeled after the Chinese capital Chang'an, Kyoto was designed in a grand grid pattern, with the imposing Imperial Palace anchoring the northern sector. This period saw the flourishing of classical Japanese culture, producing timeless works of literature such as The Tale of Genji and establishing many of the aesthetic principles that still define Japanese arts.

Cultural Treasures

Kyoto is home to an astounding 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the iconic golden pavilion Kinkaku-ji and the contemplative rock garden at Ryōan-ji Temple. The historic Gion district preserves the world of the geisha (known locally as geiko), where these artists of traditional entertainment maintain centuries-old customs.

Kyoto's sacred landscape boasts several significant temples and shrines, each telling its own story of Japan's religious and cultural heritage. The mystical Fushimi Inari Shrine, with its thousands of vermillion torii gates winding up Mount Inari, is one of Japan's most photographed sites. These gates, donated by businesses and individuals, create a stunning tunnel effect along the mountain trails.

The serene Kiyomizu-dera Temple, founded in 778 CE, offers panoramic views of Kyoto from its famous wooden stage, built without using a single nail. The temple's pure water source, from which it derives its name, still draws visitors who believe in its healing properties.

In the peaceful Arashiyama district, Tenryu-ji Temple showcases one of Japan's finest examples of a Zen garden, while the towering bamboo grove nearby creates an otherworldly atmosphere. The temple's garden, designed by the famous landscape architect Muso Soseki, remains largely unchanged since the 14th century.

Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, represents the power and grandeur of the Tokugawa shogunate, who built the castle as their power base in Kyoto. Its nightingale floors, which chirp when walked upon to warn of intruders, and elaborate wall paintings of birds, trees, and exotic animals provide fascinating insights into feudal Japan's military architecture and artistic achievements.

The ethereal Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji), despite never receiving its intended silver coating, is renowned for its meticulously maintained dry sand garden and moss garden. Its simple elegance perfectly exemplifies the Japanese aesthetic principle of wabi-sabi, finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence.

Culinary Heritage

Kyoto's cuisine, known as Kyō-ryōri, represents the pinnacle of Japanese culinary tradition. The city's status as the imperial capital led to the development of refined dining styles, including kaiseki - an elaborate multi-course meal that emphasizes seasonal ingredients and artistic presentation. Local specialties include yudofu (hot tofu pot), Kyoto-style sushi, and an array of delicate vegetarian temple cuisine (shōjin ryōri).

The vibrant Nishiki Market, often called "Kyoto's Kitchen," has been feeding the city for over 400 years, and was my first stop after we ticked off all the cultural icons. This narrow, five-block-long shopping street houses over a hundred vendors selling Kyoto's finest local delicacies, fresh produce, and specialty cookware. Visitors can sample traditional treats like yuba (tofu skin), pickled vegetables, and seasonal wagashi (Japanese sweets). The market's covered walkway features shops passed down through generations, each specializing in specific items from dried seafood to Japanese tea, offering an authentic glimpse into Kyoto's culinary heritage.

I’ve been loading up lots of videos and pictures of Nishiki, Nara, and Kyoto onto my Instagram and Facebook page, so follow me on those platforms for more photos and videos!

Living Traditions

Throughout the year, Kyoto's calendar is marked by festivals and ceremonies that connect present-day residents with their ancestral heritage. The Gion Matsuri in July transforms the city into a magnificent display of traditional floats and costumes, while the Aoi Matsuri in May recreates aristocratic processions from the Heian period.

One of Kyoto's most fascinating cultural traditions is that of the geiko (geisha) and maiko (apprentice geisha). These accomplished artists train for years in traditional Japanese arts, including dance, music, conversation, and tea ceremony. The Gion and Pontocho districts remain the heart of geiko culture, where these artists maintain okiya (geisha houses) and perform at exclusive teahouses called ochaya.

For visitors interested in experiencing this unique aspect of Japanese culture, there are several appropriate ways to engage with the geiko world. The most accessible option is attending public performances at venues like the Gion Corner, which offers nightly demonstrations of traditional arts. More exclusive experiences can be arranged through high-end hotels or specialized tour companies, who can facilitate proper introductions to ochaya for an authentic geiko dinner experience.

However, it's important to note that the geiko community is a private, professional world that operates on a formal system of introductions and relationships. Visitors should refrain from approaching or photographing geiko and maiko on the streets, as this disrupts their work and daily lives. Instead, appreciate this living tradition through proper channels that respect and preserve this sophisticated art form.

Today many Gion establishments offer the opportunity to get dressed up as a geiko or mako and take a walk through the district in full costume. We did this with our daughter, Francesca, on my last visit to Kyoto, which was great fun. I noted with interest that since our last trip; they have given men the option of dressing up to accompany the ladies, but of course, this requires a very special kind of guy.

We divided our time in Kyoto between Alexander + Robert’s package hotel, The Grandvia, which is located just on top of Kyoto’s train station, which was very convenient to get in from Tokyo, access the metro and bus system, and use the efficient trains to get to and from Nara. We later moved nearer to Gion to the lovely Ishihara Ryokan, so that we could explore that part of the city more conveniently on foot, but also experience the traditional Japanese inn, which was delightful.

I agree with many experts who caution that this experience is not for everyone, and especially not for those with mobility issues: the beds are futons on the floor, and our ryokan was vertical, with rather treacherous steps between each of the three levels. But for us, it was a great decision for two nights, making it easy to explore Gion on foot.

Modern Kyoto masterfully balances its historical legacy with contemporary life. Traditional machiya townhouses have been repurposed as boutique hotels and restaurants, while ancient temples embrace modern art installations. This harmonious blend of old and new makes Kyoto a very appealing place to visit. Five days left us still wanting more.

I’ll write a longer piece on the website soon with more recommendations and contact information, so stay tuned for that!

Recommendations from Destination Curation Resources

I’ve added a new Asia section to the Destination Curation Reading lists with lots of books I used to research my new talks, including those on Japan’s Imperial Family, and Japanese Cuisine, which I’ve uploaded in article form to the website. You’ll find several excellent books on Japanese history, culture, cuisine, art, and architecture on the list. As a subscriber to the Destination Curation newsletter, you have total access to these lists, which I update a few times a year to make sure that they are current.

I devoured the Pulitzer-prize-winning biography by Herbert P. Bix of Emperor Hirohito, Hirohito And The Making Of Modern Japan, which I highly recommend. Hirohito is a fascinating figure and his life spans Japan’s extraordinary transformation, and the Imperial Family’s reinvention, which I cover in my latest article: Japan’s Imperial Family: The World’s Oldest Royal House.

Matt Goulding’s Rice, Noodle, Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan’s Food Culture has been my companion since the COVID-19 days when I set out to teach myself some principles of the country’s nuanced cuisine. I highly recommend it as both a cookery book and an authoritative culinary history source. Find out more about Japanese cuisine with my latest article on the subject: What is Japanese Cuisine? | History and Travel Guide.

One aspect of traveling around Japan I love is the astonishing art and architecture in the country. When I set out to learn more about these voluminous topics, I found David and Michiko Young’s The Art of Japanese Architecture: History / Culture / Design a very reliable guide. As I’m more trained in Western Art, I appreciated their approach to the subject, which eases the neophyte into the topic, engendering enthusiasm along the way.

New & Noteworthy

The Edwardians: Age of Elegance​
There are times I think the King’s Gallery in London mounts exhibits just for me, which is kind of them. I’ve already nabbed my ticket for The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, which opened on 11 April and runs through 23 November 2025, and so should you if you are in London during this period. I always love going to the King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, and this exhibit will be a superb gathering of objects related to King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and George V and Queen Mary. If you’ve sailed with me when I lecture on the life of Queen Mary, you’ll recall that she was a driving force in making the Royal Collection the astonishing institution it is today: the largest art collection in the world.

​The Edwardians: Age of Elegance covers this astonishing period from the wedding of Edward and Alexandra in 1863 to the end of the First World War. Some of my favorite artists will be represented: Peter Carl Faberge, John Singer Sargent, Edward Burne-Jones, and, of course, William Morris. Fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs will not want to miss this rare gathering of paintings and objects from this expansive and elegant age.

I can’t wait! And it gives me a great opportunity to stock up on Buckingham Palace Tea, which you can’t get anywhere else. I do love it!!

​Learn More​

Monstrous Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

I will be in New York for a few days in late May, before boarding the Queen Mary 2 to head back to Europe. I’m hoping to find time to visit the Met to see Monstrous Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which takes a look at Chinoiserie: the European art form of imitating Asian aesthetics, particularly in the new craft of ceramics, fueled by the rise in popularity of tea. Chinoiserie was brought to England by Mary II from the Netherlands. As the exhibit seeks to convey, Mary II used this new art form to stress her regal status through the powerful female images portrayed in Chinoiserie. I delved into Chinoiserie during my research on the history of tea, and I am eager to learn more about this very appealing art form and the ideas behind this interesting exhibit.
Learn More​

A Lost Arthurian Manuscript - Recovered

Arthurian fans rejoice! Manuscript experts at Cambridge University have discovered a 13th-century fragment of a tale of Merlin and King Arthur, hidden in a 16th-century property record. Using sophisticated digital tools, experts at Cambridge’s Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory (CHIL) were able to read the delicate manuscript, without destroying the parchment, stitched into the binding of the later document. Read more about this delicate operation and what it reveals about the enduring appeal of the tales of King Arthur.

Window Shopping

Each time I travel to Asia, I delight in the different flavors and textures of the cuisine, particularly the forward notes of umami, the “fifth flavor,” which is best described in English as “savory.” I write more about this in my recent article on Japanese Cuisine. There are so many ways to introduce this appealing flavor note into dishes, but one of my favorites is this Black Garlic Umami Sauce from Muso. A few drops bring ramen alive, elevate plain rice, and add zing to grilled and poached chicken and fish.

I’ve been resisting the temptation to purchase new ramen bowls to add to my burgeoning collection of mismatched soup bowls at home. I love the larger, deeper bowls, which are super not only for Japanese-style noodles but also pasta, salads, grain bowls, and even the hearty Eastern-European and Caucasian soups that I keep on rotation like cabbage soup and kharcho. These lovely 45-oz Mora Ramen bowls would make a great addition to any kitchen.

I’m a diehard tea fan — and can’t get the day started without a big cup of English Breakfast (or Royal Blend from Fortnum & Mason when I have it on hand!) but I have been getting into roasted green tea while staying in our ryakon (traditional Japanese inn) in Kyoto. It is invigorating and refreshing, and while it will never replace my early morning vat tea with milk and sugar, it might well become a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. I will visit my neighborhood tea shop in Riga to consult with the oracle about this (and no doubt leave with several pounds of different varieties, which is what invariably happens). Or, I might give this Numi version a go — I love their tea combinations and the nutty Japanese twig tea looks intriguing.

Creative Corner

Greetings Creatives!

I hope your work goes well!

This week, oddly, I’m thinking about the materials and tools we use to create. My mother, who is with me on this voyage, is an enthusiastic watercolorist and I’m looking forward to seeing what she creates on the trip. She’s lately gotten into making collages, so we headed to Morita Washi, one of Kyoto’s venerable establishments where they make the most beautiful paper imaginable. The paper has vibrant colors and designs, but also textures, and I think we could have stayed there for hours!

I was in search of Midori Japanese notebooks — which I found in Tokyo at Seikado, which has to be the largest stationary and art supply store in the entire world. It was an experience!

The biggest tool-related issue, however, was that I forgot to pack my Apple pencil, which I use together with FreeForm on my iPad to brainstorm, make notes, and so many other things; I had not realized how dependent I was on it. I decided I needed to replace it, which necessitated two trips to Kyoto’s Apple store. I bought the wrong model the first time (entirely my mistake) but on the second visit they very kindly, quickly, and efficiently got me the model I needed.

I’m amazed, as ever, at the level of service one encounters in Japan. How would a non-English-speaking Japanese person fare in the Apple store in, say, the King of Prussia Mall (which was my last visit to a Genius)? Probably not nearly as well as I did in Kyoto!

I’m conscious of carrying my entire office in one tote bag: laptop, pens, notebooks, iPad (and Apple Pencil, now firmly affixed), chargers, cables, hard drives, thumb drives, camera(s), journal, glasses etc. I like this compactness. Sometimes I miss my old office in the house we sold in 2023 when we moved to Riga. It was a large loft with lots of space, a huge standing desk, file cabinets, bookshelves, and lots of containers with highlighters, pens, etc. But I feel this emotion less and less these days.

I like the fact that anywhere can be an office. Like the bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo, a quiet corner of a cruise ship, any cafe anywhere in the world, the sun-drenched reading room of the National Library of Latvia, or my kitchen table in Riga.

I have fewer tools these days, but I enjoy taking care of them: removing dust and smudges from devices, bringing order to the chaos of the flotsam and jetsam of maps, brochures, business cards, and other promotional material I collect as I go, and cleaning and re-filling my fountain pens with high-quality ink. This makes me feel more hands-on about what I suppose you might call “the craft of creation.” I’m grateful for my tools.

Which begs the question: how on earth did I forget my Apple Pencil on this trip?

Do you have favorite tools you use to create? Which might make the cut if you left home for several months?
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What’s on the Horizon?

As you read this, I will be ensconced on Seabourn Quest with Mom (#travelswithmom)! I am excited to see more of Japan — my previous visits were limited to Tokyo, Koyoto, and Nara — and I hope to continue re-reading and listening to several books from the new Japan reading list, including what is widely considered to be the first novel in the world The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki, a hugely entertaining highlight of the vast cultural output from the Heian period (794-1185).

Once on board, I’m going to be simultaneously writing a series of articles on Norway, including several 8-hour Guides to major ports on a Norwegian fjord cruise like 8 Hours in Bergen. These will be the result of two years of research, legwork, and hours spent in museums, restaurants, and hiking around this gorgeous part of the world. I love being in Norway in the summer and am looking forward to joining Seabourn Sojourn for voyages around Norway, Iceland, and the North Sea from mid-June to the end of July. This will be the last voyage on Sojourn for us, as the ship is leaving the Seabourn fleet in 2026.

I will also research the Adriatic for several new talks I plan to give in the autumn on Seabourn Encore and Ovation. These will be additions to my talks on the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, which I always enjoy sharing. The Eastern Mediterranean and Adriatic have so much culture and history —- to say nothing of delectable cuisine — to offer. I decided to kick things by revisitingRebecca West’s incomparable Black Falcon, Grey Lamb, which recounts her journey through Yugoslavia in the mid-1930s. It’s about as great as a travelogue gets and offers an eerie insight into the rise of Fascism in Europe. She writes with such flair and has that enviable ability to plunk you right down beside her so that you can experience all that she does. I can’t recommend it enough, especially if you are headed to that part of the world.

Be sure to check in with the Destination Resources Reading Lists, which I update regularly with new books, podcasts, TV and film, and other resources designed to make your travel meaningful. I did a big update recently, changing the format to make it easier to navigate. Visit via this link!

Recent Articles to Enjoy

• What is Japanese Cuisine? | History and Travel Guide​
• ​Japan’s Imperial Family: The World’s Oldest Royal House​
• ​A Guide to Sicily’s Cruise Ports: What to Do on Shore​
• ​What is Spanish Tapas? A Guide to Bar Food in Spain​
• ​A Guide to Baltic and Scandinavian Cruise Ports​

Thank You!

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Safe onward travels!

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