We traveled out to Hidaka town in Saitama at the foothills of the Okuchichibu mountain range, to join dozens of others to celebrate Alishan's 2012 Food Festival, at their wonderful riverside warehouse/home/cafe.

Again, it's no news that there are huge waiting lists for urban mothers to get their kids into day care centers. Especially for mothers with kids under 18 months.

There has been a show down going on over the restarting of the nation's 53 nuclear reactors.

Yoyogi Park was packed with parties hoping to catch the first blossoms while getting tipsy.