All About Higo Zogan
Oct 27, 2023 By Justin Hanus
A local craft you’ll only see in Kumamoto is Higo Zogan. It involves engraving an iron base with a design and inlaying with gold, silver, or both. Designs are often ancient (such as kuyokamon — the crest of nine celestial bodies) but are sometimes modern. The History of Higo Zogan...[ Click to read more ]
Scots on the Rocks – The Japan Lights, an Enlightening New Book by Iain Maloney
By Bert Wishart
A few years ago, I noticed on social media that my friend, Iain Maloney, had developed an obsession with lighthouses. Every now and again, here he was stood in front of another old lighthouse on some windswept outcrop of the Japanese coastline: in Ehime, in Izu, in Nagasaki. What the...[ Click to read more ]
Pottery Workshops and Galleries in Kumamoto
Sep 28, 2023 By Justin Hanus
The island of Kyushu is known worldwide for its ceramics. Kumamoto prefecture is the birthplace of the Shodai and Koda styles, and the city of Amakusa produces high-quality ceramics from porcelain called Amakusa pottery stone. You can see, purchase, and even make pottery yourself at several galleries and workshops around...[ Click to read more ]
Visit Miyoshi City in Hiroshima Prefecture
Sep 27, 2023 By Matt Mangham
I've already tried to lure you out to Mibu's rice fields. At the risk of being too insistent on the charms of the countryside, let me also suggest that it's time for a visit to Miyoshi. Miyoshi is a beautiful little city, the largest town in Hiroshima prefecture that isn't on...[ Click to read more ]
Seeing Noh Theater in Kansai
Jun 28, 2023 By Justin Hanus
A combination of music, dance, and poetry, Noh theater dates back to the 14th century, making it the oldest dramatic form in Japan. The performances are based on ancient myths and often feature a supernatural being who has taken human form to narrate the story. Many performances are technically nogaku,...[ Click to read more ]
What You’ll Find at Shinkaichi Art Plaza in Kobe
By Justin Hanus
Kobe has long been an important place for pop culture in Japan. Shinkaichi Art Plaza provides a venue to nurture all kinds of art forms, including theater, film-making, music, visual arts, and dance. It’s the perfect place for young artists to display their work, network with others, and rehearse for...[ Click to read more ]
Kumamoto Art Galleries and Museums
By Justin Hanus
Located in the central Kyushu region in Japan, Kumamoto prefecture is rich with its unique history and culture. There are spaces both large and small where you can bask in fine art and learn about historical events that have shaped the area. If you're looking for an afternoon getting to...[ Click to read more ]
Studio Ghibli – Sharing Japanese Culture with your Kids
Apr 27, 2023 By Bert Wishart
With a tradition going back centuries, Japanese animation, known better as anime, is perhaps one of the country's greatest cultural exports. While you may feel little interest in cartoons outside of Family Guy and The Simpsons, to eschew Japanese anime entirely is to ignore a huge aspect of the nation...[ Click to read more ]
An Art Museum for the Digital Age: teamLab Planets
Feb 27, 2023 By Michael Stigall
Tokyo has many wonderful art museums. You can find them in almost every corner of the city. They have excellent independent exhibitions as well. Perhaps none of them achieved the level of global fame though as the now-closed teamLab Borderless in Odaiba. This article is about the follow-up to that...[ Click to read more ]
Casting Your Net: Discover More about Japan with Podcasts
By Bert Wishart
So, you find yourself in Japan, and you want to immerse yourself in the culture, but you've got three fundamental problems: you can't speak the language well enough to flick on the TV and plop down in front of the various variety shows (believe me, you're not missing out there);...[ Click to read more ]
