Ricardopedia

"Not many of you come out here."

You know you're in a place off the beaten trail when you're getting a lot of looks from the locals and the guy at the…

About ten days ago I was walking along when a little Japanese boy walked up and asked if he could interview me. This sort of…

There is a great evil I have observed under the sun, and it weighs heavily on my fellow gaijin. I have seen far too many…

A major travel milestone was passed not too long ago. It was the sort of milestone that I didn't know existed until I passed it.…

Each time I've checked into an accommodation I've had to fill out a small form to give my basic information. One of the items that's…

If you've seen photos of people in Japan, you've probably noticed that some of them wear face masks. The reasons for doing so are mundane,…

As some of you may know, the term "gaijin" is a Japanese word that refers to a foreigner that the Japanese don't like. Although a…

Two days ago I landed in Japan. Things have been busy since then but I wanted to publish a post confirming my arrival, so here…

Today I’m at my parents’ house in California awaiting my departure to Asia. Tomorrow I will board an 11-hour flight that will take me straight…

I’ve known for many years that my grandfather fought in the Korean War but until recently I didn’t know much about his service. My…