Happy-Go-Solo

Castle Hopping: Inuyama Castle (March 2026)

A quick side trip from Nagoya turned into a full-on crush. After spotting Inuyama Castle on a TV drama, I went to see Japan's oldest surviving keep, got the jitters on its scary top-floor balcony, collected castle cards and seals, and accidentally fell head over heels for castle hopping.

2026.03.04

Castle Hopping

Castle Hopping: Inuyama Castle Route Map (March 2026)

A companion route map for Castle Hopping: Inuyama Castle, following the walk from Inuyama-yuen Station to the castle, castle town, and Inuyama Bridge.

2026.03.04

Castle Walk Route

March Program at the Minamiza Theatre: Pre-Curtain Notes (March 2026)

Minamiza's "Hanagata Kabuki Special Performance" features a role-swapping production. I cheerfully bought tickets to both the Matsu and Sakura casts — only to find myself nervous about Kazutaro in a male role… A pre-show notebook of the jitters before opening day.

2026.03.01

Kabuki

Single Act Tickets: February Program at the Kabukiza Theatre, Matinee (February 2026)

After a movie at Meguro Cinema, with time to spare before my flight, I slipped into the single-act gallery at the Kabukiza for a quick 18 minutes of the festive Iyasakae Shibai no Nigiwai. A little record of going solo, light on its feet.

2026.02.11

Kabuki

The Sun (dir. Aleksandr Sokurov)

The timing happened to line up, so I wandered into Meguro Cinema for the first time to watch The Sun — Sokurov's portrait of Emperor Hirohito around the end of the war. Heavy, nine-tenths of the way through, but unforgettable. A solo film outing that reminded me how good indie cinemas can be.

2026.02.11

Others

Saruwaka Festival: February Program at the Kabukiza Theatre, Matinee (February 2026)

A train mishap left me five minutes late, but a staff member's kindness got me in after all. Ganjiro and Shikan's Oedo Miyage turned out to be an Edo-era tale of oshikatsu. A solo kabuki day that taught me the quiet power of a hanayoko seat.

2026.02.10

Kabuki

Saruwaka Festival: February Program at the Kabukiza Theatre, Evening Show (February 2026)

I'd come for Tsurumatsu Nakamura's rain-praying fox dance-but it was Kankuro and Shichinosuke who took the stage instead, and oh, what a treat. A solo night at the Saruwaka Festival's evening program, savored from a dobu seat, with a celebratory medetai-yaki at the interval.

2026.02.10

Kabuki

After Senshuraku, Before Shonichi: A Dark Day at the Kabukiza (Jan-Feb 2026)

A business trip to Tokyo, a quick stop at the Kabukiza - and a dark day, so no play after all. Instead, a one-person photo session in front of an empty theater, soaking up the quiet getting-ready scenery during the short gap after one run ended and before the next began.

2026.01.29

Kabuki

A Tabletop Journey: Coppie (January 2026)

A solo dinner at Coppie, a tiny restaurant just south of Hankyu Omiya in Kyoto. From amuse-bouche to kiln-roasted pork and medicinal-herb curry, this is a tabletop journey through eight carefully made dishes.

2026.01.24

Solo Gourmet

Tamasaburo Bando New Year Special: An Afternoon of Talk and Cinema Kabuki (January 2026)

A New Year special at the Minamiza, with Tamasaburo Bando and Nizaemon Kataoka simply talking, up on stage. Their ease with each other and their warmth were almost too much. A record of a solo afternoon in the box seats -- a little gift of a moment.

2026.01.17

Kabuki