“Beauty is everywhere — you only have to look to see it.” - Bob Ross

Blending in while standing out. It’s a philosophy that merges old with new, and in this case industrial with playful. Hiroshima’s coastline is mostly composed of factories and shipping facilities. So, when a new museum project wanted to build there, they took inspiration from the shipping containers, and the water itself, creating a floating gallery unlike any other.

Visiting a beach with no swimsuit or intention of even dipping one’s toes in the water might seem like a missed opportunity. Yet, when it is a beach as iconic as this one, and when the weather was a chilly 11° C (read: 51° F) during the Austalian Winter in August, the itinerary makes more sense.

By now it’s safe to say that I’ve embarked on an archetectural tour of the world, and what better way to continue that than with arguably the most iconic performing arts venue. When you think of Syndey, you probably think of the Opera House, overlooking the harbor inlet of the Tasman Sea. But, did you know the curved roof structure shares a feature with your bathroom’s aesthetic?

Summer is the time of going to the beach, eating ice cream, and enjoying warm nights with extra daylight. In Japan, and many parts of the world, the middle of Summer is also marked with various firework displays. Tokyo’s Sumida River Fireworks Festival happens to be Japan’s largest, or most attended fireworks show, drawing close to a million spectators.

Himeji castle is Japan’s largest fuedal keep, the main fixture in the town of the same name a little west of Kobe. It is distinctly white, and while other castles might feature some ornate gold or copper trimmings, Himeji’s size is what sets it apart. It is also perched on one of the few hilltops in the city, making it viewable from afar and welcoming travelers right out of the station gates.

Spend much time in Japan and you’re bound to see trucks driving around town with loud speakers hooked up across the top. These are not ice cream vans, but political message carriers getting the word out quite locally. As Japan’s election loomed in mid-July, the number of vans and politicians out in public naturally increased. When I happened to see one out in Kobe, I had to take a closer look.