Back home things can get a little crazy around Valentine's Day. Grandiose displays of affection have become something of the norm, as we shower our loved ones with extravagant gifts, often...[ Click to read more ]
Ume is not just half of an "umeshu," a Japanese liqueur made from unripe and green ume fruits. It is quite a lovely tree. "Prunus mume" is the tree species...[ Click to read more ]
Although Kobe’s Chinatown is a major international attractor to the city, Chinese isn’t the only cultural influence worth exploring in this Kansai metropolis. Being a popular port city has brought...[ Click to read more ]
As New Year’s well wishes fade from conversations across Japan, an unspoken but equally cheerful sentiment permeates the atmosphere of Hiroshima Prefecture: “Happy Oyster Season!” Echoes of this can of...[ Click to read more ]
Winter fun seeking in Osaka is an invigorating blend of the traditional and the modern. Consider the age-old practice of pounding rice to usher in the Japanese New Year. Foods...[ Click to read more ]
The Aichi Nagoya Snow Festival is 2000 tons of snow imported from Nagano and Gifu on an annual basis for our enjoyment! This family friendly festival offers an equivalent tonnage...[ Click to read more ]
[caption id="attachment_31602" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Oden, a Japanese winter favorite[/caption] As a Brit, I am used to winters being cold, wet and miserable, with skies as grey as the faces shielded...[ Click to read more ]
Hanatouro is an "illumination festival" that happens in Kyoto twice a year at two separate locations. Actually there are two separate festivals that take place, the Kyoto Arashiyama Hanatouro and the Kyoto Higashiyama...[ Click to read more ]
There is only a relatively small band of latitudes across planet earth where the chlorophyll in the leaves of deciduous trees breaks down when the daylight shortens in the fall...[ Click to read more ]
For many folks autumn in Japan means chestnuts. Asia is known as both the largest producer and the largest consumer of chestnuts in the world. Scientists studying the remains of...[ Click to read more ]