Although I was in Osaka in 2011, the last time I was in Tokyo was in 1996. 19 years ago! I can barely count that high.

The reasons for the long absence are easy to establish. First, it used to be notoriously difficult to get a visa for Japan and, second, Tokyo used to be one of the world’s most expensive cities. But now that the Japanese have relaxed their visa restrictions for Filipinos (- I now have a five-year visa!) and cheaper options are available throughout the country, I hope to visit this dining mecca more often. There’s so much food that’s still out there, waiting to be devoured!

The meals that we’ve had, both in Tokyo and Kyoto, have been nothing short of sublime.

And, because I haven’t had much access to a mirror or a scale, I keep telling myself that all the walking we’ve been doing (- more than 17,000 steps in one day!) has been offsetting the amount of food that we’ve been scoffing. (Please see my Instagram. Full report to follow. Together with the twenty thousand other articles I have yet to write.)

It’s a good thing it’s still spring here and I can still cover up.

But not so in Singapore, where I’m headed next, and definitely not in the Philippines where I just got notice that temperatures are expected to reach 41 degrees this week.

Sigh…

It’s not easy being a glutton.

Gai Olivares, reporting from Kyoto.
Tokyo in a few hours.
Singapore tomorrow.