Pretty in Pink – Finding Hiroshima’s Beautiful Plum Blossoms
Feb 26, 2021 By Bert Wishart
While the cherry blossom is the flower that tends to dominate the imagination of Japanese botanic appreciation, it is perhaps the plum (ume) blossom that should be the more celebrated. Reddish pink or white flowers distinguishable from the sakura by their split-ended petals and their strong sweet smell, before the...[ Click to read more ]
Setsubun Festivals in Japan
Jan 29, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
Each year, on the third of February, harried fathers across Japan put on paper demon masks and are pelted with roasted soybeans by their children, who cry, “Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi!” (Demon out, Fortune in!) until dad flees out the front door into the night air. Or turns...[ Click to read more ]
Setsubun at Ryotei Kawabun, Nagoya’s Most Traditional Restaurant
By Bert Wishart
One of the most important dates in Japan's lunar calendar, every February 3, Setsubun marks the beginning of Spring. It is a time of 'out with the old and in with the new .' This metaphorical idea's literal representation is someone dressing up as an 'oni' [demon] and being chased...[ Click to read more ]
Plum Blossom Viewing in Tokyo – The Top Umemi Spots!
By Bert Wishart
While the cherry blossom is the flower that tends to dominate the imagination of Japanese botanic appreciation, it is perhaps the plum (ume) blossom that should be the more celebrated. Reddish pink or white flowers, they are distinguishable from the sakura by their split ended petals and their strong sweet...[ Click to read more ]
Winter Attractions in Tokyo
Jan 26, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
Wintertime around these parts usually means either taking in some winter sports like skiing and snowboarding or soaking in one of the numerous hot spring onsens around the countryside surrounding the metropolis. But there are a few other things you can check out around Greater Tokyo in the cold part of...[ Click to read more ]
Festivals in Kyoto You Should Know About
Dec 25, 2020 By Justin Hanus
For more than a thousand years, Kyoto was the capital city of Japan. Today it is a major cultural center. The historic city holds numerous festivals, some of which date back hundreds of years. There are a few, in particular, you should know about. Ouka-sai Festival One of the best...[ Click to read more ]
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 ]
Getting to know you: Azabu Juban, Tokyo
Sep 25, 2020 By Bert Wishart
As one of the most fashionable and exclusive neighborhoods in central Tokyo, Azabu Juban is a fantastic place to live or enjoy. You can find favorite shopping boutiques, cool little cafes, and small independent stores in which you can find something a bit different from that of the big chains...[ 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 ]
Harvest Time in Kansai
By Justin Hanus
Harvest time in autumn/fall is important across the world. Each region has different rituals associated with this time of year (September – November). In Japan, the autumn harvest is celebrated with festivals and events in each region, many of which aren't that different from those you'd find in the US...[ Click to read more ]
