Happy-Go-Solo

Kyushu’s National Treasures: Kyuhaku’s Beautiful Bounty (July 2025)

I went to Dazaifu to see the National Treasure sword Heshikiri Hasebe, and came home smitten with a doll-shaped ginseng. A solo day of swords, ginseng, and umegae-mochi.

2025.07.21

Museums

A Tabletop Journey: NeRoLi herb (July 2025)

A solo tabletop journey to NeRoLi herb in Omotesando. I popped in for herbs and stayed for a body-kind curry plate and the day's soy-milk soft serve.

2025.07.17

Solo Gourmet

July Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Evening Show (July 2025)

I came for 'Chō no Michiyuki', danced by Somegoro Ichikawa and Danko Ichikawa — delicate and lovely at first, then swept into the torments of hell. With 'Onihei Hankachō: Kettō' starring Koshiro Matsumoto, and a long-awaited medetai-yaki.

2025.07.14

Kabuki

A Tabletop Journey: Napule (May 2025)

A lunch where light pouring through the windows felt just right. In a back alley of Omotesando, I took my time with wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, from pomegranate soda to tiramisu.

2025.05.23

Solo Gourmet

March Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Kanadehon Chūshingura (March 2025)

A full day of Chūshingura at the Kabukiza — a sajiki box seat for the Matinee, the second floor for the Evening Show. Ukon's fiery Wakasanosuke, Nizaemon and Shichinosuke at the Ichiriki Teahouse, plus a bentō and a medetai-yaki along the way.

2025.03.17

Kabuki

New Year Asakusa Kabuki: Parts 1 & 2 (January 2025)

I watched both Part 1 and Part 2 of the New Year Asakusa Kabuki in one day: the same Ehon Taikoki twice with alternating casts, plus the hilarious Boshibari.

2025.01.17

Kabuki

January Program at the Osaka Shochikuza Theatre (January 2025)

The Nizatama duo reunited at the Osaka Shochikuza for the first time in 19 years. A perfectly in-sync couple in Osome Hisamatsu Ukina no Yomiuri, and in the long-awaited Kanda Matsuri, a Nizaemon so dashing you would never guess he is in his eighties. A solo outing to an auspicious New Year's program.

2025.01.13

Kabuki

K-BALLET TOKYO: The Nutcracker (December 2024)

A long-overdue ballet outing at Christmas time. K-BALLET TOKYO's The Nutcracker at Orchard Hall: thrilling variations, a live orchestra, and a surprise burst of silver streamers at the curtain call. A solo theatre-going diary.

2024.12.06

Others

Kabuki NEXT Lord of the Lies (December 2024)

Kabuki NEXT Lord of the Lies, seen from the front row of the second balcony. Somegoro's Shuten was perfection itself, Tokizo's Tsuna simply had it all, and the Shinkansen-style music won me over completely.

2024.12.05

Kabuki

The Kaomise Maneki Boards at the Minamiza Theatre (December 2024)

No tickets for me this year, but just seeing the maneki boards up at the Minamiza was enough to make me giggle. A mini report on the sign that winter has come to Kyoto.

2024.12.01

Kabuki