My Japan Life

22/10/2025

🍁 Autumn Foliage Forecast 2025 is here! 🍁

Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) just dropped its 2nd autumn foliage forecast (as of Oct 2) — covering about 700 viewing spots nationwide, from Hokkaido’s fiery maples to Kagoshima’s golden ginkgoes. 🌈 Plus, for the serious leaf chasers, it even includes forecasts for 2,900 mountains by altitude! Talk about precision 🍂🗻

🗓️ The next update lands in early November, so keep your hiking boots and camera ready!

💡 Trivia time!
The Japanese word for autumn leaves is 紅葉 (kōyō) — literally “crimson leaves.” But here’s the fun part: the same kanji can also be read as momiji, referring specifically to Japanese maple trees! 🍁 So when locals say, “Let’s go momijigari” (紅葉狩り) — they mean “let’s go hunting for red leaves”… no rifles, just smartphones and thermoses of hot tea. 😄

📍So, where will you go leaf-hunting this year — Kyoto’s fiery tunnels, Nikko’s glowing roads, or Hokkaido’s early bloom?

#紅葉

13/09/2025

🌋 Mt. Fuji is actually 3 volcanoes in 1!

That brown layer? That’s Komitake, the OG volcano from 700,000 years ago.
The red-orange one? Ko-Fuji — “Old Fuji” — which built most of the mountain we see today before collapsing and reshaping.
And sitting on top is Shin-Fuji, the youngest and still active volcano that gave Fuji its Insta-perfect cone.

Seeing this cross-section at the Geological Museum in Tsukuba made me realize… Fuji isn’t just a mountain, it’s a layer cake of fire and history. 🔥🍰

And with the Japanese government recently releasing a video simulation of what could happen if Fuji erupts, it hits different knowing we’re living right next to this giant sleeping volcano. 😳

Would you still want to climb it? ⛰️👀

#富士山

08/09/2025

From crispy crab croquettes to a perfectly simmered fish head in sweet-salty sauce, this little spot near Oarai Beach is worth every bite (and every minute of the 30-min wait!). 🌊🍽️

📍 My 4X visit — and it still hits every time!

07/08/2025

Birthday loot level: 💯Skincare, snacks, summer goodies, and a glam upgrade from my lovely friends — but the real MVPs? The handwritten notes. 💌🧴🍫🌞Feeling spoiled and seriously grateful. 💖✨ #お誕生日

05/08/2025