This Month on Maction Planet – February 2025

February was a month of celebration at Maction Planet! We marked the 8th anniversary of Maction Planet’s website launch and the 4th anniversary of Kanpai Planet. Despite being the shortest month of the year, it was absolutely jam-packed! From special tours to exclusive tasting events and cultural experiences across Tokyo, we made every day count. Join us as we look back at another incredible month of adventures in the World’s Greatest Metropolis and beyond, as ‘we continue…’ (IYKYK) our mission of creating unforgettable experiences for our guests from around the globe.

Featured image: Finally! A bucket list item achieved—standing beside the magnificent “Red and White Plum Blossoms” screens at the MOA Museum in Atami. This National Treasure, created by Ogata Kōrin in 1712-1713, features plum trees with white and red blossoms against gold leaf with swirling water patterns. The artist used tarashikomi, applying a second layer of paint before the first dried to create the distinctive ripple effects. This masterpiece of the Rinpa school is on display until March 11, 2025.

On February 3, I attended San’in Discovery Night 2025, which showcased Tottori and Shimane Prefectures’ rich cultural offerings. Themed “A World of Spirits and Stories,” the event highlighted the region’s supernatural heritage through Lafcadio Hearn’s ghost stories, featuring a reading by his great-grandson Bon Koizumi. More viseral highlights included learning more about the upcoming Tottori Prefectural Art Museum designed by Fumihiko Maki, Mt. Daisen’s sacred sites, and the remote ENTO hotel in the UNESCO Geopark. San’in’s blend of mystical landscapes, spiritual traditions and great sake presents exciting possibilities for future Maction Planet tours beyond Tokyo!

Despite everything going on on Maction Planet, I managed to sneak in a visit to Sakamichi North on 4 February. This is my first official visit since I attended their pre-opening party in December 2024. I had a great evening catching up with Matthew Boynton, Head Brewer and Co-founder of the ever-expanding Sakamichi empire. We enjoyed some of their excellent brews and discussed serious beer business—so serious that it called for a black-and-white photo treatment!

Alex and Robert are wonderful people, and it was an honour to show them the city I love during a 14-hour tour on 7 February!

On February 8, I attended the fascinating “150+ Years of US-Japan Baseball Diplomacy” symposium at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Marunouchi. This William & Mary-sponsored event featured an impressive lineup of speakers including Robert Whiting (author of “You Gotta Have Wa”, pictured) delivering the keynote, along with former MLB star Warren Cromartie and baseball legend Toshimasa Shimada. Whiting explored how baseball has served as a unique cultural bridge between the two nations since the 1870s, highlighting significant moments from early missionary introductions to modern MLB-NPB player exchanges. As baseball tours remain one of Maction Planet’s most requested experiences, it was valuable to deepen my understanding of the sport’s profound cultural significance in Japan-US relations!

On 9 February, we celebrated four years of Kanpai Planet! Since our first Foo Fighters Sake review, we’ve grown to over 400,000 views covering Japanese whisky, sake, shochu, and craft beer. Read more of my reflections on these four years here and keep an eye out for a major announcement in March as we enter our biggest year yet! Kanpai!

It is rather appropriate that on the anniversary of Kanpai Planet I was guiding a sake-themed tour in Suwa, including a visit to the Masumi Sake Brewery in Nagano Prefecture! Standing at the entrance with its classic noren curtains adorned with the brewery’s minimalist logo, alongside decorative sake barrels (komodaru) displaying the Masumi brand name seemed the perfect shot to share.

Founded in 1662, Masumi gained international acclaim after developing the famous brewing yeast strain No. 7 in 1946, which revolutionized the sake industry. Their commitment to quality and innovation continues today, producing elegant, aromatic brews that perfectly represent Nagano’s pure mountain water and cool climate. It all culminates to produce the delicious sake which me and my guests enjoyed!

On 10 February, I had the pleasure of introducing Matsumoto Castle to my guests in perfect winter conditions. The snow-capped Japanese Alps provided a stunning backdrop to Japan’s oldest existing castle tower, built in 1593-1594, known as Karasu-jo (Crow Castle) due to its distinctive black exterior. Another unforgettable day sharing Japan’s cultural treasures with Maction Planet guests!

My annual amezake and ume photo, this year from Atami Baien on 11 February 2025.

I was invited to the pre-opening reception of MACHINE LOVE: Video Game, AI and Contemporary Art” on 12 February. Running from 13 February to 8 June 2025 at the Mori Art Museum, this fascinating exhibition explores the intersection of gaming technology, artificial intelligence, and modern artistic expression. For anyone interested in how technology shapes creative expression and vice versa, I highly recommend adding this to your Tokyo itinerary. Our art-focused tours regularly include visits to the Mori Art Museum, where Tokyo’s skyline views complement the cutting-edge exhibitions within!

I also attended the first day of “Living with Two Brains: Women in AI and New Media Art” – a thought-provoking international symposium held at Tokyo Node Hall in Roppongi Hills on 15-16 February 2025. This timely event coincided with the opening of the aforementioned “Machine Love” exhibition at Mori Art Museum, bringing together researchers, artists, and curators to explore how women and non-binary artists have shaped new media art since the 1960s. The symposium examined their innovative responses to technological developments and discussed how these technologies have influenced perceptions of gender.

A moment of pure whisky joy at the Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2025, held on 16 February 2025! This annual celebration draws whisky enthusiasts from around the world, many of whom attended because of my video showcasing the 2024 event. It was great to meet so many fans of Kanpai Planet there. Although I preferred the 2024 event, which was less crowded, this year was a lot of fun nonetheless—as this photo clearly demonstrates!

This tour with Bradaigh, Lindsay, and their respective tribes was a long time in the making, but it was well worth it! Thank you for choosing Maction Planet.

Instead of talking about how awesome this whisky tasting I led was, I am going to let Jillian do it.

I guided Glenn and family for four amazing days in Tokyo. On our final day together, he invited me to be a guest on his Orthopreneurs podcast and the episode we recorded was released on 18 February! Read the description below and then listen above – available on all good podcast platforms!

“Every once in a while, you travel to a place that completely blows your mind. That’s what recently happened to me and my family when we went to Japan. I thought I knew what to expect: polite people, cool architecture, good food. But Japan exceeded every expectation I had. It was something out of a dream. In this episode, I’m talking with Mac from Maction Planet, the tour guide who made our trip special. He is originally from the UK but has lived in Japan for almost 20 years. Mac is not your typical guide, he’s got this insane passion for Japan and knows how to craft an experience that feels personal and unforgettable. We cover everything from Japan’s safety and civility to its awe-inspiring food scene. I’m talking tiny restaurants where chefs treat cooking like fine art, with no tipping culture and some of the best craftsmanship I’ve ever seen. We also discuss what makes Japan so clean and organised, the mesmerising fusion of Shintoism and Buddhism, and yes… the tea ceremony that changed my entire outlook on life. If you have never been to Japan or are thinking about going, you don’t want to miss this one. I’m definitely going back!”

On 20 February, Maction Planet celebrated a remarkable milestone—eight years since the launch of our website! From humble beginnings to becoming a top-rated boutique tour operation in Tokyo, the journey has been extraordinary. None of this would be possible without our incredible guests and partners—over 300 five-star reviews later, your trust continues to inspire us daily. Here’s to more adventures, discoveries, and experiences that are truly Large! As has become tradition, I shared a special message that day with the Maction Planet community here.

An absolute highlight of February was meeting whisky legend Dave Broom at his intimate Modern Masters masterclass held at Aloha Whisky Bar on 23 February! Here I am receiving my signed copy of his definitive “World Atlas of Whisky,” now in its 3rd edition. Dave, whose writing has shaped whisky appreciation globally for decades. And how could I not be smiling when he signed it “To Mac / Kanpai Planet – with thanks for a great chat and all you do for whisky.” These connections with industry experts continue to enhance the depth of knowledge we bring to our Kanpai Planet content and Maction Planet beverage tours! The event itself was incredible – never again will the 10 drams be poured together, certainly in the company of legendary hosts Dave Broom and Stefan van Eycken.

Finally, since January 2024, I have ended each edition of This Month on Maction Planet with an embed of this month’s video on Kanpai Planet. But never fear—there are two coming next month, and with them comes the unveiling of a very special project two years in the making. Until next time, 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

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