November 12th – Nara Our destination today was Nara, about an hour and a half by bus from Kyoto. Nara was Japan’s first permanent capital, established in 710, and is home to some of the country’s most important Buddhist monuments. But before we got anywhere near the Buddha, we encountered the other great attraction of […]
goshuin
Japan, Full Day 9: Ancient Trees, Samurai, Gold Fingernails, and a Rather Disturbing Thank-You Note
November 8, 2026 — Kanazawa For those of you keeping track of the days (and wondering whether I’ve forgotten how to count), a little housekeeping! Full Day 6 was our travel day from Tokyo to Hakone, and Full Day 8 was our journey from Hakone back through Tokyo Station and then on the Shinkansen to […]
Japan, Full Days 4 & 5: Sumo, Samurai, Sacred Stamps, and the Search for a Fish-Free Salad
November 3–4, 2026 — Tokyo Sometimes, a day in Japan contains an appropriate number of experiences. And then there are days when you attempt to knock over a sumo wrestler, discover that your hotel makeup mirror has been installed at approximately belt-buckle height, encounter a subway system resembling a plate of multicolored spaghetti, and find […]
Japan, Full Day 3: 1st Beginnings, Small Remembrances, & A Very Large Buddha
Monday, November 2, 2026 — Kamakura There is something particularly Japanese about a day that begins with the crush of the subway, contains a gigantic Buddha and a Shinto wedding, and ends with rain. Of course, there is also something particularly Sandy about a day involving ancient shrines, a rather enthusiastic international game of charades, […]
Japan Objects
I think the objects knew before I ever did where we all would go After I wrote the Ariats post, several people messaged me some version of: “Only you could turn boot shopping into an existential archaeology project.” This is fair. But I have been realizing something lately. Something adjacent to the boots, but perhaps […]