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Guide to Japan Blog
Everything you read here comes from my real life in Tokyo.
These posts are about the things I do and the places I go. I write naturally and honestly, and I hope you can feel what I feel and experience a bit of what I experience.
If something resonates with you, feel free to leave a comment. If you visit any of the places I mention, I would love to hear how your experience was too. I write these posts for fun, and I hope they’re interesting, helpful, and add something to your time in Japan :)
MY JAPANESE EXPERIENCES
My personal experiences in Japan, that don't quite fit into any of the other categories. Uniquely Japanese happenings/events/moments :)
Shibuya Ekiden Race Recap: Running Yoyogi Park with Nanmban Rengo
After what was probably the best Saturday I’ve had in Tokyo so far, I woke up feeling well-rested and ready to race. I’ve written about the day before already, and this felt like a continuation of a really excellent weekend. Sebby and I arriving late lol Breakfast was simple. Not my usual oats and eggs because I was racing, just oats with berries and banana. Sebastian and I headed out early, aiming to get to Yoyogi Park around 7am. From Koenji, it’s honestly so easy - roughly
Alex
Jan 224 min read
The Best Saturday I’ve Had in Tokyo
After a busy week of errands, working on the business, and Sebastian coming back to Tokyo, we gave ourselves a proper reset Saturday and honestly, it ended up being one of the best Saturdays I’ve had in Tokyo. Japanese people love saying "Fight-o" to encourage each other :) A Slow Start and a Really Good Conversation Instead of our usual 5 or 5:30am wake-up, we got up around 6:30, which already felt amazing. We made our normal breakfast, oats and eggs, and sat down to somethi
Alex
Jan 212 min read
Starting the Year Running: Tokyo New Year Half Marathon
Coming back to Tokyo after the New Year, this race felt less like a test and more like a marker. A chance to move, reflect, and start 2026 feeling strong, focused, and excited about what’s ahead. Double thumbs up for the boys lol. Back in Tokyo It’s been a week since I arrived back in Tokyo after spending Christmas and New Year’s in Hawaii with my family. There was a lot of walking, running, and hiking over the break, so my legs felt strong coming back. The point of the Tokyo
Alex
Jan 133 min read
Temple Start, Uphill Finish: Lessons From The Kanto Narita 10k
What started at a beautiful temple in Narita turned into one of the hardest, most honest efforts I’ve given in years. This race reminded me of something simple. Every race starts in the mind, and it finishes there too. Two simple men Early Trains For races that start around 9 or 10am, I usually just wake up early and travel out there, instead of staying overnight. The Narita 10k kicked off at 10, so Sebastian and I were on the train at 6am, breakfast packed. Oats, berries, a
Alex
Dec 22, 20255 min read
Baked Sweet Potatoes, Cold Weather, and Fast Legs
This race wasn’t about being fast or chasing a PB. It was more like a check-in. I wanted to know whether the work I put in over summer actually meant something, and whether I could trust myself enough to make a plan, and stick to it. I was six weeks post ankle injury. The week before, I’d run in the Okutama Ekiden, so I knew the ankle could handle the impact of running again. This half marathon was about staying patient, staying composed, and not letting the mind spin out of
Alex
Dec 15, 20254 min read
Racing Through Pain and Pride: My Okutama Ekiden Experience with Namban Rengo
Running up hill for seven kilometres was brutal, but carrying the team’s sash made me race like my life depended on it. And we're off! Four Weeks Post Ankle Injury And Somehow Lining Up For Ekiden Exactly four weeks after absolutely fcking up my ankle in a 35 km five-hour trail race in Nikko, I found myself preparing to race the Okutama Ekiden. My ankle wasn’t fully recovered and I’d barely run in the last month, but I’d committed to this race ages ago, so I wasn’t pulling ou
Alex
Dec 10, 20254 min read
Nikko 2025: My First Trail Race, Autumn Leaves, And A Weekend I Won’t Forget
A few weeks before this trip, I had raced in Taipei and gone straight from competing in the Spartan Beast into a trail running camp in the Japanese Alps. So by the time Nikko came around the following weekend, my legs were not exactly fresh. All that being said, this would be my first official trail race in Japan, and it happened to land right in the middle of Japan’s autumn season. So, tired legs or not, I was excited! Nikko is famous for its stunning autumn leaves called k
Alex
Nov 13, 20255 min read
From Base to Fifth: Racing the Slopes of Mount Fuji
This was not a sightseeing trip. The 2nd Mount Fuji Base to Fifth Station Race was a brutal test of endurance that climbed straight into thin air and demanded respect from the first step. Racing ready Getting to Fuji and Race Check-In Just like the other times I've been down to Mount Fuji, I caught the highway bus from Shinjuku, which drops you at Fujisan Station in Yamanashi. The trip only takes a couple of hours, so I left mid-morning and arrived around lunchtime. Bus ticke
Alex
Sep 17, 20255 min read
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