Christmas in Japan
Nov 10, 2019 By Ray Proper
While less than 1% of Japan's population identifies themselves as Christian, Japanese families still look forward to and enjoy Christmas festivities in their own distinctly Japanese way. Encouraged by businesses and the global entertainment industry's power, people in Japan largely celebrate a non-secular version of Christmas, complete with lights and...[ Click to read more ]
Get a Sugar Rush at the Aichi Sweets Marathon
Oct 29, 2019 By Bert Wishart
Are you too keen on candy to run a marathon? Do you need sugary enticement to get you to that finishing line? Then the Aichi Sweets Marathon in Moricoro Park is right up your, um, running track. While gobbling down sweets mid-run may seem like a major contradiction, the Sweets Marathon...[ Click to read more ]
English Stand-up Comedy Around Tokyo
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 ]
Tokyo Motor Show 2019
Sep 27, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
Japan's motorcar industry is one of, if not the most important exporter and revenue generator in the economy here. Brands like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi are known all over the world for their quality and innovation. Not to mention more than a few people swear by these brands. So...[ Click to read more ]
Nagano Ebisuko Fireworks Festival, Where It’s All Going off This Autumn
By Bert Wishart
For most of Japan, the coming of autumn marks an end to the almost nightly banging, crashing and gunpowder-scented air of the fireworks festivals. Yes, there may be a few straggling events at the beginning of September, but that is pretty much it. But then, in late November, when the air...[ Click to read more ]
Festival Tokyo – Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual art, and Film
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 ]
Kawagoe Hikawa Festival
Sep 25, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
Taking place annually on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday of October, the Kawagoe Festival is the pride of the City of Kawagoe every year and has over 360 years of traditions behind it. The entire "Little Edo" area of town is blocked off to automobile traffic and the Karazukuri Old...[ Click to read more ]
Brick or Treat – Getting Spooky at Legoland this Halloween
By Bert Wishart
Halloween in Japan is an odd time, in that it is mostly aimed at an older demographic. Street parties and nightclubs are boozy affairs, while costume shops almost exclusively trade in sexy fancy dress for women. For those of us coming from the West, where Halloween is predominantly an affair...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo Ramen Show 2019
Sep 23, 2019 By Admin
Ramen is classic Japanese food. If you ask a random person, foreign or Japanese, male or female, what their favorite food is you are highly likely to get "ramen" back as your answer. Ramen is a noodle soup of wheat noodles served in a meat-based broth. Standard flavors include: Shio or "salt" Tonkotsu or "pork bone"...[ Click to read more ]
Family Friendly Halloween Activities in Tokyo 2019
Sep 11, 2019 By Ray Proper
Once upon a time in Tokyo, celebrating Halloween meant dressing up in a costume and riding the Yamanote Line around the center of town drinking heavily and being unruly. Other than that weirdness, you really couldn't tell October 31st from November 3rd, or any other average day here in Japan. More...[ Click to read more ]
