What is the ShichiGoSan Ceremony?
Nov 24, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
Traditionally held on November 15, the Shichigosan (七五三, literally 7-5-3) ceremony is a rite that originated around 750 AD in the Heian period to celebrate the passage into middle childhood for children in Japan. Back in those times, it was considered a blessing from the gods if a child made...[ Click to read more ]
How to See Kobe on a Budget
Oct 18, 2019 By Justin Hanus
Traveling around Japan can be expensive, but it’s still possible to visit any city in the country if you’re on a budget. Kobe is no exception. It’s easy to reach Kobe from Osaka or any other city in Kansai and there’s plenty to do once you get there for almost...[ Click to read more ]
The Red Capped Statues – The Patron Saint of Children.
Sep 27, 2019 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 ]
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 ]
Great Places to Spot Wildlife in Kansai
Sep 24, 2019 By Justin Hanus
Japan is known for its densely-populated neon-lit cities but look beyond the lights and high-rise buildings and you can find some beautiful open spaces where you can see nature at play. The Kansai region has no shortage of breath-taking mountains, wetlands, large parks and woodlands filled with a diverse array...[ 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 ]
Yokogawa: Where Old and New Meet in Hiroshima
Aug 26, 2019 By Hugh Cann
Historically, Yokogawa is the old Shitamachi and before the second world war was Hiroshima's commercial business district. The post-war reconstruction shifted most commercial and retail activity to Naka -ku (ward) area of central Hiroshima. Today, some of the businesses in Yokogawa remain much as they were after the immediate reconstruction....[ Click to read more ]
Stepping Back in Time at the Arimatsu Float Festival
Aug 20, 2019 By Bert Wishart
Sometimes when you visit festivals, with everyone dressed in their finest kimono or yukata, the street stalls lining the streets, and the local historical curiosities paraded around the town, if you squint just enough, you feel like you are able to capture a small glimpse of how the old Japan...[ Click to read more ]
Morioka Marathon: Here for the Long Run
By Jade Brischke
Summer in Morioka is officially over which means the weather is starting to cool down and runners everywhere are taking advantage of it. Long winters can make running difficult, not to mention, dangerous, here and late spring and autumn are the perfect time to get outside and explore the city....[ Click to read more ]
Light up the Beach at the Enoshima Toro Lantern Festival
Jul 26, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
The area to the southwest of Tokyo proper located in Kanagawa Prefecture called Shonan, is known for being a longtime beach playground for anyone into the summer beach scene in Japan, and a local getaway spot for those of us living in Greater Tokyo whenever the stifling heat of summer...[ Click to read more ]
