Scouting in Nagoya
Sep 28, 2019 By Mark Guthrie
When Lord Baden Powell published the first edition of 'Scouting for Boys', a guidebook of survival techniques he learned during the Second Boer War and adapted for Britain's youth he sparked a worldwide phenomenon. Although the Scouting movement has become very different to what he may have imagined it to be (I'm...[ Click to read more ]
Sushi: a Short History and Where to Get It in Hiroshima
Sep 27, 2019 By Hugh Cann
The earliest form of sushi, known today as narezushi, most likely originates in the paddy fields along the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. The prototype narezushi is made by lacto-fermenting fish with salt and rice to control putrefaction. It then spread southward. In Japan, the dish's introduction overlaps with the...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo Motor Show 2019
By Jason Gatewood
Japan's motorcar industry is one of, if not the most important exporter and revenue generator in the economy here. Brands like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi are known all over the world for their quality and innovation. Not to mention more than a few people swear by these brands. So...[ Click to read more ]
The Red Capped Statues – The Patron Saint of Children.
By Hugh Cann
If you’ve visited Mitaki Temple on the city outskirts or perhaps Daishoin Temple on Miyajima (or many other places throughout Japan) you will surely have come across small stone statues of monks wearing red knitted caps and bibs across the chest. These are statues honoring the Jizo Bosatsu. Jizo is...[ Click to read more ]
JAPANESE SAKE – Educating you about the good, clear stuff!
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 Mark Guthrie
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 ]
Under The Bridge Nagoya Music Festival
By Mark Guthrie
Nagoya's music and art scene is a broad church that encompasses varying styles and genres. At the Under the Bridge Nagoya festival, many of these artists, both locally grown and from the ex-pat community, are coming together under one roof. Well, bridge. What is Under The Bridge Nagoya? The brainchild...[ Click to read more ]
Brick or Treat – Getting Spooky at Legoland this Halloween
By Mark Guthrie
Halloween in Japan is an odd time, in that it is mostly aimed at an older demographic. Street parties and nightclubs are boozy affairs, while costume shops almost exclusively trade in sexy fancy dress for women. For those of us coming from the West, where Halloween is predominantly an affair...[ Click to read more ]
