Hinamatsuri, or the Doll’s Festival in Hiroshima
Feb 21, 2018 By Matt Mangham
“Hinamatsuri,” also called Girl’s Day or the Doll’s Festival, is a day that will either charm you or leave you cold. If you have a domestic bent, or a fondness for dolls or traditional craft, it’s sure to win you over. Officially, the day itself is on March 3, although...[ Click to read more ]
Komaki Air Base Open Base
Feb 20, 2018 By
Do you know how it feels to perform death defying stunts in the air, to have the power of some of the world's most sophisticated artillery at your finger tips, to have the wind rushing through your hair? Well the brave men and women of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force...[ Click to read more ]
World Igloo Building Championship at Osorakan Snow Park
Jan 29, 2018 By Matt Mangham
Without a little advance planning, midwinter in Japan can seem bleak, especially in the city. Which is precisely why it makes good sense to get out of town. Whether you head for an onsen to drive out the chill, or light out for a winter festival, it’s a good time...[ Click to read more ]
Sake Tasting in Tokyo
Jan 20, 2018 By Bert Wishart
Sake, of course, is famous around the world for being Japan's national drink. Though the drinking of Chinese alcohol is thought to predate recorded history, it is believed that sake as it is currently known - made up of rice, water and 'kōji' mold - dates from around the Nara period (710...[ Click to read more ]
Tondo Festivals in Hiroshima 2017
Dec 22, 2017 By Matt Mangham
Across Hiroshima Prefecture, early to mid-January involves one final, festive bit of housekeeping with regard to the year just passed. Part of ‘Koshagatsu,’ which marks the traditional lunar new year, it’s called the Tondo festival. In public parks, school grounds and shrine courtyards, people gather around towering bonfires of bamboo,...[ Click to read more ]
Miyajima’s Daisho-in Temple near Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
January is a wonderful month to make a trip to Miyajima. Whether you’re heading out early in the month for the year’s first ‘hatsumoude’ visit to the island’s World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine, or stopping by mid-month for the shrine’s Tondo festival, make sure not to miss out on another of...[ Click to read more ]
Chinese New year Festival Nagoya 2018
Dec 20, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Although Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, celebration of the Chinese year is still an important cultural event in the country. This year (2018) the Chinese New Year falls on February 16, however Nagoya wants to get in on the fun a little bit early. Chinese New Year Festival...[ Click to read more ]
New Year’s Countdown Tokyo Style 2017
Nov 29, 2017 By Jason Gatewood
[caption id="attachment_33936" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Revelers await the coming new year as time ticks down on the video monitors above Shibuya Crossing. (Dick Thomas Johnson via Flickr)[/caption] Whoa, can you believe it? Another year is almost on its way out and as always, your ever faithful JIS staff are here to...[ Click to read more ]
Gujo Hachiman, an Edo Era Town That’s Much More Than a Song and a Dance
Nov 01, 2017 By Bert Wishart
You may recall that, back in July, we posted about the Gujo Hachiman Bon Odori festival, a four day extravaganza of all night dancing, perhaps the most famous event of its type in all of Japan. While it is quite an extraordinary sight, there is a good chance that you...[ Click to read more ]
The Danjiri Matsuri in Osaka is a Multi-Generational Thrill Show
Sep 14, 2017 By Justin Hanus
Autumn means the biggest event of the year for the southern Osaka city of Kishiwada - the Danjiri Matsuri. Danjiri are large wooden carts inside which religious tenets declare gods reside. The point of the festival is to honor the gods by having fleets of neighborhood men pull the carts...[ Click to read more ]
