Everyday objects: Hot Water

Everyday objects: Hot Water

If there is one thing that a visitor to China will notice, it is the nation’s obsession with hot water. The default at every restaurant or café is to serve water that is piping hot. Either that, or boiled water cooled to room temperature. There is a strong historical...
Ogranised Chaos

Ogranised Chaos

In the early 18th century, Tokyo became the largest city on the planet. Since then, Japan has been a country of urban sprawl, with an exaggerated scarcity of space, time and resources. In consequence, and long before the advent of Marie Kondo, clutter has defined its...
Monks and Brothels

Monks and Brothels

A number of years ago, I found myself celebrating Christmas in the depths of Kyoto’s red-light district. The club was a time capsule of the bright and brash 1980s, albeit sparingly decorated in 100 yen store-bought tinsel, draped over the neon lights. Amidst the flash...