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Today I’m sharing a bit about how I ended up in Japan, plus some curated travel tips for those of you who are thinking about visiting. 

My Journey to Japan

I didn’t move to Japan decades ago specifically for the culture, though I definitely found it fascinating. But I find just about every culture fascinating, including my own. What brought me here was something a bit different—I came to continue managing a band called Pizzicato 5 (lots of links below), part of the Shibuya-kei genre of music, art, and film. 

I came with someone who I still consider my Japanese brother to this day. We worked really hard to introduce the band to North America and Europe, and eventually expanded that work here in Japan as well. So, with my 13 boxes of belongings and my bicycle, I left New York City and made my way to Tokyo.

Fortunately I gained new family here. These folks are serious travelers and storytellers, and they helped shape my Japan experience whenever they could get me to leave the house.

Travel Tips for Japan

In a recent Good Trouble TikTok Live, there were lots of folks eager to explore Japan.

I should note: I’m a kind of non-religious hermit. So I’ve never been a good tour guide. That was true even when I lived in New York City, my hometown. But, what I am good at is curating resources. So, if you’re planning a trip to Japan, here’s my short curated list of go-to recommendations.

Food & Culture Tours

If you’re into food and cultural experiences, I have to shout out my sis over at Arigato Japan Travel. They’re not just a food tour company—they do full travel planning; pretty much everything for your trip. Definitely check their blog and sidebar for travel tips and connections to cool local folks.

General Travel Tips

For figuring out what’s happening in Tokyo, I recommend Tokyo Cheapo. Yeah, I know, the name’s a little funny, but it's super useful. They have detailed articles on all sorts of things; lots of people who actually live here use them for recommendations. Great way to enjoy Tokyo on a budget.

Another long-time favorite of mine is Metropolis Japan. It’s a magazine that’s been around for ages and is mostly digital now. They cover a wide range of topics, and you can find them online for insights into entertainment and more.

Embassies

If you’re a U.S. citizen, I recommend checking out the official Japan travel info from the US Embassy. It’s a good resource for travel tips and general information about visiting Japan. If you’re from another country, definitely check out your embassy’s website for travel updates.

For more general info, you can also visit

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Hello!  In this episode, I'm sharing some tiny details about my creative life: the things I'm making, how my creative life fits into my work life (or doesn't), and a tiny bit about the Presidential Debate 2024.

Here's that Guardian article:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/12/us-presidential-debate-tv-ratings-harris-trump-abc

For the edited transcript, with additional links, private musings, music and art in progress, Patron-only chats every month, and to help support the show, join my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/tokyoterri

Link up with me here:
https://tokyoterri.com/tokyoterris-rebellion/

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On this episode of tokyoterri’s rebellion, I’m sharing my story of diving into TikTok’s live streaming feature and finding unexpected connections along the way. Inspired by the legendary Good Trouble and Nick—yes, that weird gecko guy—I decided to give it a shot, and it turned into something truly special.

Join me as I share how live streaming can lead to real, heartfelt conversations. We talked about communicating with people who have totally different views.

My takeaway: Social media can bring us closer, help us find common ground, and tackle bigger issues. Of course, social media can be the source of human’s worst impulses. But it can also be a tool for our best.  The folks I admire lead on social media focused on connection, empathy, and a bit of rebellious hope.

Editor’s note: yes, this show used to be called hello human show. But I went into a long hiatus. Recently I decided to restart and to rename it to the same name as my newsletter. And to pick up my mic and start again. I’ll publish at least weekly. But sometimes, more. 

Link up with me here:
https://tokyoterri.com/tokyoterris-rebellion/