Fushimi Inari Taisha, or Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine (伏見稲荷大社). Beyond its famous red gates, we are talking about one of…
Toshiko SakuraiOctober 8, 2021
Having the world’s spotlight during the Olympics was the perfect opportunity for the Japan Cultural Expo to showcase the richness…
Toshiko SakuraiSeptember 27, 2021
Once upon a time, the Okayama (岡山) plain was an inland sea called Kibi no Anaumi, which was surrounded by…
Cherise FongSeptember 22, 2021
In everyday life in Japan, Arabic numerals (1,2,3...) are widely used, but each number still has its own Kanji character…
Marie BorgersSeptember 13, 2021
In the eastern area of Kyoto in Higashiyama district, a building full of ancient culture for nearly 800 years goes unnoticed by…
Irene BurriccoSeptember 9, 2021
Mensore! When you travel to Okinawa Prefecture, you will hear this word often. Mensore means "welcome" in the Okinawan dialect,…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
It’s often said that music knows no borders. It’s a universal language understood all over the world and capable of…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
In Okinawan dialect, yachimun (やちむん) means pottery. Its history dates back hundreds of years when the islands were still the…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
When I think about Okinawa, the first word that comes to mind is "paradise". Its turquoise blue ocean contrasts with…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
Handmade pottery is one of the oldest crafts in Japan. It’s a combination of art and tradition that reflects Japanese…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
Like many of the traditional crafts of the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom (琉球王国), Okinawan glass is also part of a story…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
If you've ever been to Japan, you've probably found yourself browsing the okashi (お菓子 Japanese snacks and sweets) area in…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
Japanese cuisine is world-famous, but there is much more food to try than sushi, ramen, or tempura. Japan's varied landscape…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
When you think of traditional Japanese culture, one of the first images that probably comes to mind is a beautiful…
Lucia TsujiguchiSeptember 8, 2021
When you travel a lot by train in Japan, it can get quite expensive, especially if you want to use…
Claudia MitsuboriSeptember 3, 2021
The legendary island of Enoshima (江ノ島) is just a stone’s throw away (or one hour by train) from Tokyo, and…
Cherise FongAugust 31, 2021
As Japan’s second-largest city, Yokohama (横浜) is best known for bridging past, present, and future with its historical gardens and…
Cherise FongAugust 31, 2021
It was impossible to avoid cyberpunk or sci-fi evocations while standing in front of the legendary Nakagin Capsule Tower. It…
Toshiko SakuraiAugust 27, 2021
Just as with face-to-face interactions, standard telephone exchanges in Japan follow a formal code of politeness. This is when you…
Marie BorgersAugust 24, 2021
The famous "Japanese Archipelago" periphrase speaks volumes about the country's geography. Apart from the four main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu,…
Marie BorgersAugust 20, 2021
A samurai on the run. A distraught courtesan. A relentless fox. History and folk tales collide on stage, where a…
Toshiko SakuraiAugust 18, 2021
In 2015, Japan decided to lower the legal age of adulthood from 20 to 18 years old. But this threshold…
Marie BorgersAugust 17, 2021
Japan is the country of origin of Pokémon and has been part of Japanese culture for me since I was…
Claudia MitsuboriAugust 10, 2021
How many video game franchises have worldwide International Championships to their credit? How many hold annual parades starring their most…
Toshiko SakuraiAugust 10, 2021
In August 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki endured two of the most deadly attacks in history. Each hosting…
Manon ChauvrisAugust 5, 2021
Knowing a few basic Japanese words and holding a conversation can be very helpful in Japan, especially in a country…
Marie BorgersJuly 27, 2021
While Japan is a food lover's paradise, there is no universal agreement on what foods people will eat. Some visitors…
Todd FongJuly 12, 2021
