Sweet on You – Getting Valentine’s Chocolates in Tokyo
Feb 14, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Back home things can get a little crazy around Valentine's Day. Grandiose displays of affection have become something of the norm, as we shower our loved ones with extravagant gifts, often at exorbitant prices, presumably just as the martyred St. Valentine would have wanted. In Japan, however, somewhat unusual for a nation...[ Click to read more ]
Plum Blossom Viewing in Nagoya – Top Umemi Spots!
Jan 27, 2017 By Admin
Ume is not just half of an "umeshu," a Japanese liqueur made from unripe and green ume fruits. It is quite a lovely tree. "Prunus mume" is the tree species more commonly referred to as a Chinese plum or Japanese apricot tree. The tree produces a delicious fruit usually referred...[ Click to read more ]
Kobe’s International Cuisine Tour
Jan 23, 2017 By Justin Hanus
Although Kobe’s Chinatown is a major international attractor to the city, Chinese isn’t the only cultural influence worth exploring in this Kansai metropolis. Being a popular port city has brought a diverse array of international cultures to Kobe, and one of the best ways to experience this diversity is through...[ Click to read more ]
Getting Into the Spirit of Hiroshima’s Oyster Season
Jan 17, 2017 By Justin Hanus
As New Year’s well wishes fade from conversations across Japan, an unspoken but equally cheerful sentiment permeates the atmosphere of Hiroshima Prefecture: “Happy Oyster Season!” Echoes of this can of course be heard and tasted year around in the prefecture, but the abundance and quality of oysters harvested in the...[ Click to read more ]
New Year’s Celebrations in Osaka: Ring in the Good Luck 2017
Dec 21, 2016 By Justin Hanus
Winter fun seeking in Osaka is an invigorating blend of the traditional and the modern. Consider the age-old practice of pounding rice to usher in the Japanese New Year. Foods made from mochi, the sticky paste that is molded into rice cakes, are considered a "Food for the Gods" and...[ Click to read more ]
Aichi Nagoya Yuki Festival
Dec 20, 2016 By
The Aichi Nagoya Snow Festival is 2000 tons of snow imported from Nagano and Gifu on an annual basis for our enjoyment! This family friendly festival offers an equivalent tonnage of fun things to do besides the 2000 tones of snow used to create a 50 meter snow slide which...[ Click to read more ]
Japan’s Winter Food
Dec 14, 2016 By Bert Wishart
[caption id="attachment_31602" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Oden, a Japanese winter favorite[/caption] As a Brit, I am used to winters being cold, wet and miserable, with skies as grey as the faces shielded from the perpetual sleet and drizzle. As such, it always baffled me when Japanese friends would claim, without a second's...[ Click to read more ]
Kyoto Hanatouro Illumination Festivals
Nov 14, 2016 By Ray Proper
Hanatouro is an "illumination festival" that happens in Kyoto twice a year at two separate locations. Actually there are two separate festivals that take place, the Kyoto Arashiyama Hanatouro and the Kyoto Higashiyama Hanatouro that feature different parts of the city. They are similar, but each offers a slightly different experience. Kyoto Arashiyama Hanatouro...[ Click to read more ]
Shorter Days + Cooler Weather = Momijigari
Oct 25, 2016 By Justin Hanus
There is only a relatively small band of latitudes across planet earth where the chlorophyll in the leaves of deciduous trees breaks down when the daylight shortens in the fall and the natural colors of red and orange and yellow remain. Japan is one of the fortunate places in that...[ Click to read more ]
It’s Fall in Japan; Time to get Nutty about Chestnuts
Oct 24, 2016 By Justin Hanus
For many folks autumn in Japan means chestnuts. Asia is known as both the largest producer and the largest consumer of chestnuts in the world. Scientists studying the remains of ancient hillside villages in Japan have documented the use of nuts as food sources as far back as 9,000 years....[ Click to read more ]
