Staying entertained while #stayinghome in Tokyo
Apr 30, 2020 By Jason Gatewood
Every 2 or 3 months in this space, I write a piece introducing a community in Greater Tokyo and encourage readers to take a trip to check it out themselves. Perhaps the most challenging thing about the novel coronavirus pandemic is my missing these attractions. Since none of us can...[ Click to read more ]
Things to do in Tokyo during Rainy Season
Apr 26, 2020 By Jason Gatewood
We’ve braved yet another cold winter, sat out under the pink trees during hanami season, and seen it warm up steadily with our minds starting to look towards the barbecues, beach trips, and bon ordori festivals of summer. But we have to get through three or so weeks of dreary,...[ Click to read more ]
Classic Anime that You Should Know
Feb 26, 2020 By Bert Wishart
If from a western country with little connection or interest in Japanese popular culture, there is a good chance that the world of anime (the catchall term for Japanese moving animation series and movies) not only baffles you but completely loses you. If that is the case, then you are...[ Click to read more ]
Spring Love Harukaze Music Festival in Tokyo 2020
By Jason Gatewood
We got you covered when it comes to checking out all the pink-tree goodness when it comes to cherry blossom viewing parties in Tokyo. But if you want to level-up your hanami experience this year, you can’t go wrong with the free Spring Love Harukaze concert on the weekend of...[ Click to read more ]
Cultural Kawabun – Exploring Japanese Culture at Nagoya’s Oldest Restaurant
Dec 26, 2019 By Bert Wishart
Japan has a rich and long artistic heritage, something that many people travel from all over the globe to see. For the most part, they go to Kyoto and Tokyo to see the best-known events, but did you know that here in Nagoya, you can get up close and personal...[ Click to read more ]
Chichibu Night Festival Near Tokyo
Nov 26, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
Located about 2 hours northwest of Central Tokyo, Chichibu is a small mountain community that is popular for weekend getaways thanks to it being the home of Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park and a very picturesque and historic area. Celebrating some of that history is the Chichibu Yomatsuri night festival. This is...[ Click to read more ]
English Stand-up Comedy Around Tokyo
Oct 29, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
Turn on the TV at any given moment during “Golden Hour” (what we Yanks call Primetime) and you’ll no doubt see comedy duos interspersed in the endless waves of food tasting, international shenanigans, and celebrity anecdotes that seem to permeate the average Japanese media diet. Those comedy teams, called manzai,...[ Click to read more ]
Festival Tokyo – Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual art, and Film
Sep 27, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
One of the benefits of living in the world’s largest urban area is the simple fact that there’s always something going on in town for you, no matter what you’re into. Take the arts for example. There have been no less than 3 performing arts fairs around the Metropolis just...[ Click to read more ]
Nine Japanese Artists You Should Know About
Sep 24, 2019 By Bert Wishart
When we think of Japanese art our minds probably go straight to the two dimensional, Chinese-influenced pictures of cranes and floating castles or the lurid and grotesque kabuki characters of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. But there is so much more to the broad scope of Japanese artwork than that. From sculpture...[ Click to read more ]
When Did Manga Become So Popular?
By Justin Hanus
Although manga comic books are popular throughout the world, in Japan reading manga is a very common pastime for people of all ages. But it wasn’t always this way. The Word “Manga” “Manga” literally means “whimsical pictures.” The term came into use in 1798 in reference to a book called...[ Click to read more ]
