tigerjapan's VirtualTourist Home Page

Japan really has become my home.

When I first arrived in Japan (after some backpacking in Asia) I thought i'd probably stay a year and then move on. Here I am 5 years later and I still love living here.

Japan is a fantastically diverse place and I love that it is so removed from my upbringing. I am by no means an expert on Japan or it's traditions, but i hope that as I build my pages, I can give some (personal) insights into this country.

One of the best things about living in Japan is that travel within the country has so much to offer. That being said, it is also very expensive. By way of parenthesis, we are very lucky to be able to get quite good discount flights to International destinations from Japan.

Please feel free to mail or message me should you have any questions. I hope I can get this page moving soon.

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2007 = Year of the Wild Boar

In Japan the zodiac animal years receive more attention, and are more widely used in fortune-telling, than the zodiacal signs used in astrology. Like our star-signs the Chinese zodiac has 12 branches. In Japanese it is called Juunishi (literally 12 branches). For each of these branches an animal is assigned to each year (rather than month).

This year, 2007, is The Year of the Wild Boar, or "inoshishi" in Japanese.

The juunishi system is believed to have originated in China during the Yin Dynasty (c. 1600 - 1000 B.C.).

So ... enjoy The Year of the Wild Boar!!

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Jess & Me - Waterfall Gully South Australia

Returning to Australia every year or so (for the past few years) has meant that I've started to see parts of the country I never had before.

Australia is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited and often taken for granted by Australians themselves. The landscape diverse and has so much to offer.

I am such a fan of the smaller cities and towns and must say Victoria and South Australia are two of my favourites. I am yet to explore much of the other states, but hope to soon.

I strongly recommend the following (lesser visited) places:

Clare

The Great Ocean Road

Grampians

Coonawarra / Penola

And for city folk: Sydney for the weather, Melbourne for "the scene", and Adelaide for the food and wine.

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Aussie Chicken Pie (with sauce)

A Word On Baked Goods...

Australian pies... what can I say? You can't go past chicken pies or veggie pasties.

Australian bakeries are not to be missed and even worth using as a stopping off point on long trips... we found some amazing country bakeries and I've since considered writing a guide to country Australian bakeries... I wonder if a publisher would finance that research?

One can only dream!