Susan Spann's Blog, page 7
March 7, 2022
Makuyama, Blooming Trees, and Soft Serve: Yugawara’s Ume Festival
Last weekend (February 26), I headed south to the town of Yugawara, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to climb a mountain and attend an ume matsuri--a festival dedicated to the blooming plum tree blossoms (known as ume in Japanese).
February 23, 2022
One Good Book Deserves Another
Books have played an important role in Japanese culture for centuries, which is one of the major reasons I decided to set the newest Hiro Hattori mystery, FIRES OF EDO, in the world of books, and the people who make and sell them.
February 15, 2022
Happy Release Day, FIRES OF EDO!
Today is Release Day for my newest Hiro Hattori novel, Fires of Edo! You can find it anywhere books are sold!
February 14, 2022
Saitama’s Famous Icicles, By Night
Last weekend, I hopped an Express LaView for a two hour ride to Saitama Prefecture (which borders Tokyo to the north) to visit one of the Three Great Icicles of Chichibu.
February 7, 2022
A Sweet Ride on the Fuji View Express
Last Sunday, I checked another long-time “to-do” item off my list with a ride on the “Sweets Car” of the Fuji View Express. The train runs on the Fujikyu (FujiQ) Railway, and connects Ōtsuki station with Mt. Fuji Station and other points in the Fuji Five Lakes region of Yamanashi Prefecture. The “Sweets Plan” ticket (which includes both the base fare and the express ticket fare, as well as the special sweets and drinks) covers passage from Ōtsuki to one of Mt. Fuji, Fujikyu Highland, or Kawaguchiko Stations; given my other plans for the day, I opted to end my
February 4, 2022
Japan Snacks: Toppogi Chips!
I love toppogi. I cook them at home, and order them as a main dish or a side just about every time I go to Korean restaurants. So when I saw these "spicy toppogi" chips in the market, it was a no-brainer to bring them home.
January 31, 2022
Hiking Lake Toya: A Day on Nakajima
On the final day of last September's hiking trip to Hokkaido, with a little more than half a day to kill before my train departed for Tokyo, my friend Ido and I headed out to Lake Tōya for one last hike.
January 22, 2022
Hello, FIRES OF EDO !
Edo, February 1566: When a samurai’s corpse is discovered in the ruins of a burned-out bookshop, master ninja Hiro Hattori and Jesuit Father Mateo must determine whether the shopkeeper and his young apprentice are innocent victims or assassins in disguise. The investigation quickly reveals dangerous ties to Hiro’s past, which threaten not only Edo’s fledgling booksellers’ guild, but the very survival of Hiro’s ninja clan. With an arsonist on the loose, and a murderer stalking the narrow streets, Hiro and Father Mateo must save the guild—and themselves—from a conflagration that could destroy them all.
January 7, 2022
Edible Lilies: a Tasty Way to Welcome the New Year
In early December, I paid a visit to my friends Elizabeth and Satoshi at their lovely ryokan, Mori-no-yado Gableview Forest Inn, in Nikko. At dinner, Satoshi served a delicious appetizer I'd never had before: sautéed lily bulbs. I was so excited when I found them in the market, so I could enjoy them at home too!
January 3, 2022
Egrets! and Meiji Shrine
A few weeks ago, I ran an errand in central Tokyo that took me within a short walk of Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine). Since I doubted the shrine would be busy on a weekday morning, I headed over for a visit. Meiji Jingu sits on 70 hectares of forested land in central Tokyo; the shrine was established in 1920, after the death of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Although the Emperor and Emperess are buried in Kyoto, they were posthumously enshrined at Meiji Jingu as protective Shintō deities. Emperor Meiji played a major role in the modernization (and
