What better way to shake off any winter lethargy or periods of over-eating than heading out for a refreshing walk for a few hours? With an abundance of glorious natural...[ Click to read more ]
Continuing a tradition that goes back to the time that St Valentine wondered what to get Cupid as a thank you for all his hard work spreading the love*, for...[ Click to read more ]
You've probably seen that classic episode of The Simpsons where Homer goes to a Japanese restaurant and eats fugu, a pufferfish equally famed for its sublime, delicate flavor, and that...[ Click to read more ]
Each year, on the third of February, harried fathers across Japan put on paper demon masks and are pelted with roasted soybeans by their children, who cry “Oni wa soto,...[ Click to read more ]
First, a brief introduction to the origin of Valentine's day. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in February as a month of romance. Its origin is a bit murky, but St. Valentine’s...[ Click to read more ]
Valentine's Day is nearly upon us, and in Japan, that means just one thing: chocolate. Now, everyone knows that here in Japan, we do things a little differently, namely that...[ Click to read more ]
We're into the new year and fast approaching that date in the calendar where love is in the air. It's Valentine's Day on the 14th of February, of course. This...[ Click to read more ]
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...[ Click to read more ]
So you survived oshogatsu (Japanese New Year's) and are looking forward to the end of March and the blooming of the cherry trees, but the reality is there are at...[ Click to read more ]
Setsubun, or "That Bean-Throwing Festival," celebrates the beginning of spring in Japan. Celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival, its association with the Lunar New Year...[ Click to read more ]