The Nipponbashi Street Festa in Osaka
Oct 18, 2019 By Justin Hanus
Back in 2005, Osaka was not nearly as popular a tourist destination as it is today. The city decided to host a cosplay and otaku festival called Nipponbashi Street Festa to improve things, and it was a huge success. In the first year, 130,00 tourists came to see the festival,...[ Click to read more ]
Japanese Sake: Sake Festival in Hiroshima
Sep 27, 2019 By Hugh Cann
To begin with, we all know the word sake (pronounced sa-keh not sa-ki). But in fact, that is the generic term in Japanese for alcohol. If you want to order it and not sound like a complete “blow-in” you would be better ordering it as Nihon-shu. Most Nihon-shu (from my...[ 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 ]
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 ]
Rokko Island Halloween Harvest Festival in Kobe 2019
Sep 08, 2019 By Justin Hanus
If you’re in the area, you should check out the Rokko Island Halloween and Harvest Festival. This festival is one of the largest in the Hanshin region, and it occurs just across Kobe on Rokko Island at the River Mall. Grab your kids, friends, and family, put your best costumes...[ Click to read more ]
The Nagoya Festival
Sep 05, 2019 By Ray Proper
The Nagoya Festival is held annually on the third Saturday and Sunday of October. The main attraction is a parade, lead by Nagoya’s 3 most famous historical figures and feudal lords; Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa, of 700 mounted soldiers, foot soldiers, entertainers, and dancers. Besides the parade,...[ Click to read more ]
Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri in Osaka
Aug 29, 2019 By Bert Wishart
With more than 300 years of history, the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is the oldest Danjiri Festival in Japan. Such festivals are held right throughout the country, but for most Japanese, if you say 'Danjiri Matsuri' this is the one, with its raucousness and inherent danger, that springs to mind. The...[ Click to read more ]
