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....[ Click to read more ]
New Years in Japan is laser-focused on firsts. You have your first sunrise of the year, which is very important, and other firsts like the Shinnenkai parties to bring in...[ Click to read more ]
For most of us from colder climates, it is hard to imagine winter without ice skating. Luckily, many in the metropolis share that view, and there is a wide selection...[ Click to read more ]
Oshogatsu, or New Year, is the most important holiday in Japan. Businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families gather to spend time together. During the New...[ Click to read more ]
The Nippon Domannaka Matsuri, commonly called Domatsuri, is the largest dance festival in the Nagoya/Chubu region and involves dancers from all over Japan and abroad. This festival is one of the highlights...[ Click to read more ]
Not content with being the site of Japan's oldest (arguably most elegant) castle or being a staggeringly beautiful city, Inuyama hosts a particularly spellbinding festival every spring. The Inuyama festival...[ Click to read more ]
The Chubu Walkathon is an exciting event that raises money for charity and offers a great family-friendly day in the park for adults and children alike. The Walkathon is not...[ Click to read more ]
"Hanami" literally means flower viewing, but it is much more than that to Japan's people. Hanami signals the end of another long winter's chill. Besides simply enjoying the beauty of...[ Click to read more ]
Ramen is a 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"...[ Click to read more ]
In his 1977 classic one-hit wonder, John Paul Young sang the immortal lines "Love is in the air, everywhere I look around." There is a good chance that he wasn't...[ Click to read more ]