Japanese Language and Culture are gaining popularity across the world. Through Manga, Anime, Music and Film, the world now knows more about Japanese Food, Etiquette and Japan’s Heritage. Japanese Art, Fashion and Architecture are also highly regarded. Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Ninja, Samurai, Sushi are just some of the things people associate with Japan.
Tag: Japanese
Wisteria Tunnels of Senzai Park in Japan
It’s an indisputable fact that the Japanese people love their seasonal blossoms, and the yearly blooms of wisteria are no exception. Hot on the heels of the annual cherry blossoms in March, the woody vines of the fuji wisteria come into bloom during the last…
How to Wear a Kimono – Women’s Edition
Whether you are celebrating the New Year, attending a tea ceremony or simply taking a stroll around a historic area like the Gion District of Kyoto or the Asakusa Shrine of Tokyo, wearing a kimono adds a special elegance to any outing — as well…
Where Can You Do Snow Cycling in Japan?
There will come a time in a person’s life when the rush of adrenaline to the body overcomes their common sense. Sitting at the top of the ski run of Togari Onsen Ski Resort on a fat wheeled mountain bike, getting my first taste of…
Shigaraki Village: Ceramic Tanuki and An Integration Project for Disabled People
Shigaraki (信楽町) is a village in Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県), east of Kyoto. The Prefecture is not only home to the biggest lake in Japan, Lake Biwako, but the Japanese also associate Shigaraki with a surprising speciality. Clay racoons (known as tanuki in Japanese) are produced…
Staying At a Traditional Japanese House in Tamba Sasayama’s Umetan FUJI
“Watch out for those deer!” I whispered, as a herd suddenly skipped across the road in the dark. It was a moonless night in Hyogo prefecture’s Tamba Sasayama (丹波篠山) as we headed to our accommodations at Umetan Fuji for the night. Our guide Michiko however,…
History and Architecture at Maizuru Red Brick Park
In the beautiful stretch of coastal scenery in northern Kyoto prefecture (京都府), lies a port town of lovely red brick buildings at Maizuru (舞鶴) Brick Park. Facing the Sea of Japan (日本海), Maizuru was originally a fishing village before turning into one of the most important…
Nature, History and Accommodation in Fukui’s Obama City and Hibiki Terraced Rice Fields
GAH! MONKEYS!!! It was quite the surprise to stumble into a group of wild monkeys at Hibiki Terraced Rice Fields, and I stood frozen in place as they scattered into the surrounding countryside. It marked a brief but lively interlude on my historic and natural…
Amanohashidate: A Bridge to Heaven at One of the Three Views of Japan
Japan is a country of lists. Top five cities. Top ten shrines. Top 100 ramen joints… you get the picture. So it didn’t surprise me when I started researching the famous sight of Amanohashidate (天橋立) in northern Kyoto, that I learned about the Three Views…
The Entrepreneurial Spirit of Tamba Sasayama Castle Town
It was a day of wind and rain — not exactly the ideal weather for a photoshoot in Hyogo Prefecture’s (兵庫県) Tamba Sasayama (丹波篠山市). Home to a rich 400-year old history, this Japanese castle town includes a unique pottery culture, a contemporary castle, and perfectly preserved…
Soba Noodles Eating Tour in Izushi Castle Town, Hyogo
“Itadakimasu!“ With my stomach already dangerously at capacity, I dove into my last order of soba (buckwheat) noodles in the Japanese castle town of Izushi (出石). As my favourite go-to cold noodle dish during the summer months in Japan, I’m normally a bottomless pit when…