KITTIES AND GHIBLI Tucked away in Kichijoji is a small paradise for cat lovers and fans of the Hayao Miyazaki aesthetic To say that Japan is enjoying a tourism boom is quite an understatement. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced that the number of international visitors to the...
SB19 IN JAPAN From left: Josh, Pablo, Justin, Stell, and Felip Last weekend, I found myself at a concert venue in Saitama, about an hour away from Tokyo’s city center. Surrounded by the lively atmosphere of fans eagerly awaiting the performance of SB19, a rising P-Pop sensation from the...
FILIPINO FOOD ADVOCATES Agricultural attaché Aleli Maghirang, Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano, and Diamond Star representative Ryoji Tsuji (Photo from the Philippine Embassy in Japan) Last month was—in a word—delicious, cherished by us Filipinos worldwide. It was Filipino...
The Ayala Group’s real estate investment trust AREIT Inc. expressed confidence of being able to maintain its high occupancy rate of 97 percent despite excess supply in the office market which has resulted in a substantial vacancy rate in the industry. During the firm’s annual...
Yesterday, I found myself facing a familiar adversary—Imposter Syndrome. Four months into our posting in Tokyo, I unexpectedly found myself seated in a meeting room, ready to interview an official from one of Japan’s top luxury developers. With over a decade of experience in journalism, much of...
CALM WITHIN THE BUSTLING CITY. Renting a rowboat is possible during the spring up to the warmer months but it's most popular during spring for sakura and during autumn when the leaves turn orange Spring heralds the end of winter’s chill, ushering in warmer, brighter days along with the eagerly...
PH'S FIRST FEMALE AMBASSADOR. H.E. Trinidad Legarda (Photo from the DFA) It seems like it’s only recently— maybe the last two decades or so—that women are being truly celebrated in the field of diplomacy. Delving into the annals of history however reveals a long list of female diplomats who,...
EDUCATION IS KEY In the City of Toda in Japan, public schools are visited by government officials from all over the world to see how they are modernizing learning Last week, I had the privilege of visiting schools in Toda City within Japan’s Saitama Prefecture. The visit offered a glimpse into...
UNPACKING MORE THAN THINGS How much do we truly need for a life well-lived? In the column I wrote when we first arrived in Tokyo, I said that I would give myself time to play tourist and slowly settle in. I gave myself the deadline of when our shipment finally arrived. We had to delay its departure...
AREIT Inc. (AREIT), the real estate trust of property giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), reported a 43 percent jump in net income last year to P4.93 billion, boosted by the acquisition of more properties for lease. One Ayala, a property in AREIT's portfolio In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock...
CULTURAL SHOWCASE Beyond the sights, the country's rich cultural heritage is a major come on for travelers On the. evening of February 12, against the backdrop of Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, the Philippines shone brightly as it hosted Tourism Night. The event, hosted by the Philippine government,...
AUTHENTICITY CAN BE YOUR SOFT POWER Heart Evangelista's personal branding, thanks to her authenticity, allows her to work with a broad spectrum of brands, from high luxury to mass products I didn’t expect to find myself back home in Manila this quickly. After only being in Tokyo for six weeks and...
