This Week in Tokyo – 16 March 2021

Welcome to ‘This Week in Tokyo’, a review of the Maction Planet week that was and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the city. Hosted by Mac, our Founder and Lead Guide, you can check out photos from our tours and read insights into our explorations as we get under the skin of the World’s Greatest Metropolis, and beyond! This week: Will you marry me?; Lest we forget; White Peach Yeast; Hachiko and me, together again for the first time and What is Japanese Whisky?

Featured image – Will you marry me?: For those concerned that the ‘Will you marry me?’ guy is struggling in the absence of visitors to Japan, fear not. He’s still there, asking his question in Hachiko Square, and awaiting your return.

Lest we forget: 10 March 2021 marked the 76th anniversary of the 1945 Great Tokyo Air Raid (東京大空襲), the largest conventional weapons bombing in human history. 100,000 people, primarily women, children and other civilians were killed, over 1 million were left homeless, and the entirety of East Tokyo was all but wiped out.

This statue is in Ueno Park. It is one of the very few monuments to the tragedy in the city. It’s called the ‘toki wasureji no to’ which means ‘The ‘Lest we forget’ Tower.

If you want to find out more, watch this video I made last year of the 75th-anniversary memorials.

Love and eternal respect to the victims and survivors of all wartime tragedies across the globe.

White Peach Yeast: I couldn’t attend the Sake Lovers x Kamikokoro Shuzo sake tasting event last weekend, so I got the sake shipped and enjoyed a replay of the event while drinking along!

These incredible beverages – a ‘regular’ sake, a sparkling sake and a peach liqueur – are very characteristic of Okayama, where Kamikokoro Shuzo is based. White Peach yeast may well be my new favourite yeast! Kanpai!

Hachiko and me, together again for the first time: ‘Nuff said.

What is Japanese Whisky?: Is it a lighter style of whisky, with a focus on blends and channelling millennia-old craftsmanship? Or is Japanese Whisky something deeper? And what does it mean for a whisky, or any drink for that matter, to be from anywhere?

Find out more in the latest video from Kanpai Planet, bringing you the world of Japanese drinks, one sip at a time, from the heart of Tokyo. I suggest you subscribe now. We want YOU to be a part of our growing community of Japanese drinks lovers! Kanpai!

Maction Planet runs bespoke Private Tours and Experiences in Tokyo, and beyond. To book yours, or to purchase a gift card, contact us at info@mactionplanet.com

You can subscribe to the Maction Planet newsletter below, and follow all our adventures on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Mixcloud and YouTube.