ChubuCultureEvents New Years in Japan: A Niigata Family Gathering to Celebrate the New Year It’s that time of the year again. The New Year is awaiting us, and with it, one of the most…Yvonne TanakaNovember 4, 2020
EventsKanto Halloween in Tokyo: No Sleepy Tales To talk about Halloween in Tokyo is to talk about two parallel stories that only share a name. In another…Toshiko SakuraiOctober 28, 2020
ActivitiesEventsKanto The Best Places to See Winter Illuminations in Tokyo Seeing traditional celebrations is one of the many things visitors can enjoy while in Japan. Japanese know how to adapt foreign…Maria PeñascalOctober 2, 2020
EventsFoodthings-to-know KFC: How the Fast-Food Brand Became a Christmas Tradition in Japan Christmas is a ubiquitous, worldwide holiday officially celebrated in 160 countries across the globe. From Colombia to Romania, Malta to…Richard MilnerSeptember 24, 2020
CultureEventsPop Culturethings-to-know The Halloween Phenomenon in Japan The Japanese seasonal change isn't just noticeable in the change in temperature or the number of clothing layers you have…Toshiko SakuraiSeptember 15, 2020
EventsKantoPop Culture Experience The Kawasaki Halloween Parade As the Halloween season approaches in Japan, cities transform: Shopping malls play eerie tunes over speakers while people shop. Soft…Jonathan ReeveAugust 25, 2020
EventsKanto The Joy of the Yamato Awa Odori Dance Festival ‘The dancers are fools; the spectators are fools, both fools alike, so why not dance?’ The English translation to the…Jonathan ReeveJuly 16, 2020
EventsKantoSightseeing Hitachi Seaside Park: A Blue Ocean of Nemophila What would be Japan without its flowers? The list of flower-centered attractions is long: pink sakura blossoms, orchards of peach…Yvonne TanakaJune 24, 2020
CultureEvents Hina Matsuri: A Day of Celebration For Girls During Hinamatsuri literally “doll’s celebration”) beautiful ornamental dolls are displayed in Japan's household to celebrate the good fortune of girls.VoyaponMarch 2, 2020
ActivitiesEventsKantosponsored The Jewel of Shonan: Winter Illumination Paradise of Enoshima After a whole day walking around Enoshima, I was exhausted. The sun was setting and the chill was rising, but…Maria PeñascalFebruary 15, 2020
CultureEventssponsoredTohoku Culture in Yuzawa: three festivals for three colorful seasons In Japan, ancestral traditions are still very much alive, and wherever you go, the many festivals held throughout the country…Cyrielle Ugnon-CoussiozDecember 12, 2019
ChugokuEventsSightseeingsponsored 8 Million Reasons to Visit Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine Japan is a land rich in myths, and the popular saying among the Japanese is that 8 million kami (Shinto…Clémentine CintréJanuary 6, 2019
ActivitiesEventsKantosponsored Rice Field Art Worthy of a Guiness World Record in Gyoda, Saitama Sponsored by Gyoda City and Council for the promotion of Tambo Art. The people of Japan can turn almost anything…Hazel TaylorNovember 13, 2018
ChubuCultureEventssponsored Traditional Machiya Byobu Exhibition in Murakami Sponsored by Murakami City A former castle town, Murakami has plenty of contemporary renown, from its signature dried salmon, to…Andrew DeckNovember 12, 2018
ActivitiesEventssponsoredTohoku Iizaka Kenka Matsuri – A Rare Fighting Festival in Fukushima Sponsored by Fukushima City Tourism and Convention Association. As the huge float swung our way with a dozen men carried…Todd FongNovember 9, 2018
ActivitiesEventsKantosponsored Attending the Sailing’s World Cup Series 2018 – Enoshima Welcome Festival Sponsored by Fujisawa City Tourist Association. When visiting Tokyo, a gigantic metropolis constantly in flux, you may not believe that you…Pierre BabinOctober 7, 2018
CultureEventssponsoredTohoku Celebrating the Local Matsuri Tanabata Festival in Yuzawa Tanabata festival, a tradition originally coming from China, is very popular in Japan. In Yuzawa, a small city located in Akita…Joachim DucosSeptember 8, 2018
ChubuCultureEventssponsored Attending a Noh Theatre Play on Sado Island Sponsored by Sado Island Noh theatre, a traditional form of Japanese dramaturgy that occupies a specific place in Sado Island’s…Marion PontJuly 27, 2018
ChubuCultureEventssponsored An Afternoon at the Hamochi Festival on Sado Island Sponsored by Sado Island Summer in Japan is synonymous with matsuri, these traditional festivals often have a religious element and…Marion PontJuly 23, 2018
ChubuCultureEventssponsored Attending an Ondeko Drumming Festival on Sado Island Sado Island, located off the coast of Niigata in the Sea of Japan, has a rich and varied cultural background.…Marion PontJuly 19, 2018
ActivitiesEventsKanto Koenji Awa Odori: Tokyo’s Biggest Summer Dance Festival The Tokyo neighborhood of Koenji is known on most days for its trendy cafes, hipster live music venues, and its…Andrew DeckMay 29, 2018
CultureEventssponsoredTohoku Akita Inukko Matsuri : Dog and Temple Snow Festival in Yuzawa Yuzawa City is known for a heavy snowfall in the Tohoku region, the northern part of Japan. This mountainous region…JulieMarch 19, 2018
CultureEventssponsoredTohoku Festival in Snow: Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival Sponsored by Yonezawa City Yonezawa City is no stranger to snow. Located in southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, near the Fukushima border,…Andrew DeckMarch 11, 2018
ActivitiesEventsKyushusponsored Ogi’s Lantern Festival in Full of Autumn Colors! Sponsored by Saga Prefectural Tourism Federation Known as "little Kyoto" because of its similarities with the old capital, Ogi has many sites…Alix DurantouJanuary 23, 2018
CultureEventsKyushuSightseeingsponsored Autumn Visit to the Arita Ceramics festival Arita has been renowned for Japanese porcelain since the end of the 16th century and is a tradition that continues…Alix DurantouJanuary 20, 2018
ActivitiesEventsKyushuSightseeingsponsored The Rugby World Cup 2019 Oita Match Scheduled! Sponsored by Tourism Oita The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be hosted by 12 cities throughout Japan, over 44 days from…VoyaponDecember 21, 2017
ChubuCultureEventssponsored Murakami Byobu Folding Screens Festival, Niigata Prefecture Sponsored by Murakami City Murakami city of Niigata prefecture saw great prosperity during the Edo period of Japan. The city…Jose MontañoDecember 7, 2017
ChubuCultureEventssponsored The streets are Alight with the 1,300 Year Old Tradition of Mino Washi Paper Sponsored by Mino City When it comes to Japanese paper, Mino Washi listed UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage is in a league…Hazel TaylorDecember 6, 2017