Winter Illumination in Hiroshima 2020
Nov 19, 2020 By Matt Mangham
Seasonal illuminations are a big deal in Japan. From the famous Kobe Luminarie, donated by the Italian government following the Great Hanshin Earthquake, to light festivals in Osaka, Sendai, Nagoya, and elsewhere, a chilly stroll through enchanting colored lights has become a prominent feature of winter in Japan. Hiroshima is...[ Click to read more ]
Craft Beer in Tokyo and Yokohama
Oct 20, 2020 By Bert Wishart
Japanese beer is usually thought of as just the 'big three': Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo. While these are great when ice cold on a scorching day, they aren't exactly the most interesting brews. However, right now, there is something of a craft beer revolution going on. While it is impossible...[ Click to read more ]
Go Potty at the Tokoname-yaki Pottery Festival
Sep 24, 2020 By Bert Wishart
Aichi is Japan's modern-day hub of automotive manufacture. Long before that, about 800 years before Mr. Toyoda's Type G Automatic Loom, Aichi was a hub for pottery. During the Heian Period (794-1185), Japan had 'Six Ancient Kilns' of ceramics production, two in Aichi: one at Seto, and the other -...[ Click to read more ]
Walk with the Animals, Talk with the Animals…
Jul 31, 2020 By Hugh Cann
Look I’m just going to say it. I’m not a fan of zoos and my first visit to Japan and see the zoo in the 1980s left me indignant and determined never to go again. HOWEVER. Japanese notions of animal care have evolved a lot and while it’s not Taronga...[ Click to read more ]
Japan’s Professional Sports Post-Coronavirus Summer Outlook
Jul 01, 2020 By Jason Gatewood
Like in the rest of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, anything that attracts large numbers of people together for hours on end has been postponed or canceled in Japan, including Major League sports. The situation remains fluid, however as some sports leagues are finding ways to deal with the...[ 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 ]
Takayama Spring Festival
Apr 01, 2020 By Bert Wishart
Located in Gifu Prefecture, and surrounded by some of Japan’s richest natural areas just below the famous Northern Alps, Takayama is somewhat isolated and distant. This isolation allowed the city to develop its own distinct culture that combines that of nearby Edo (modern day Tokyo) and Kyoto’s into a new...[ Click to read more ]
Wisteria Festivals: Aichi’s Other ‘Hanami’
Mar 18, 2020 By Bert Wishart
There can be absolutely no doubt that in Japan, the month of April is very much the month the cherry blossom tree. However, as quickly as it has come, the season has gone. Time has taken its toll on the delicate sakura, and the wind and rain of spring have...[ Click to read more ]
Join Amnesty International in Nagoya
Feb 26, 2020 By Bert Wishart
Nagoya is currently seeing a rise in activism. From environmental concerns to issues of social justice, all over the city groups of concerned locals and ex-pats are joining together to make the world a better place. One such group is the Amnesty International Nagoya Multicultural Group (Provisional). Japan Info Swap...[ 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 ]
