January

Traditional Japanese New Years’ Foods – Osechi Ryori

Dec 26, 2024 By Ray Proper

Osechi-ryōri are traditional Japanese foods eaten at the start of the new year.  The osechi tradition has been alive in Japan since the Heian Era (starting in 794). The foods...[ Click to read more ]

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Hatsumode in Nagoya – Shrines to Visit for New Years

Dec 26, 2024 By First Admin

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 ]

Hiroshima Ski Resort

Frozen Fun in Hiroshima

Dec 24, 2024 By Justin Hanus

For many, wintertime in Hiroshima means oysters and nihonshu. These are great seasonal indulgences but there are many other experiences worth having during the colder months. While the rest of...[ Click to read more ]

Hatsumode in Hiroshima – Shrines to Visit for New Years and the Tondo Festival

Nov 29, 2024 By Hugh Cann

There are two main traditions marking the beginning of the new year in Hiroshima. Hatsumōde is the first visit of the year to a shrine and takes place throughout Japan....[ Click to read more ]

Winter Illumination in Nagoya

Nov 28, 2024 By Ray Proper

Christmas Day in Japan is just another working day, for the most part. The most exciting facet of the Christmas and holiday season in Japan is that all traces of...[ Click to read more ]

Great Shrines for Hatsumode in Kumamoto

Nov 27, 2024 By Justin Hanus

The turn of the year is holiday time in Japan. People are off work to celebrate the New Year with parties, family gatherings, culinary feasts, and hatsumode. Hatsumode is the...[ Click to read more ]

Snow is Here, Get Your Gear: Ski and Snowboard Shops in Nagoya

Nov 27, 2024 By Bert Wishart

As an avid cyclist who rides daily for their commute, I tend to fear the winter months. Nothing does for the motivation like the icy wind biting at your fingers,...[ Click to read more ]

Volunteering in Kanto

Jan 31, 2024 By Michael Stigall

Winter is a time where we often have more time on our hands than we know what to do with. It is cold, wet, and mostly dark, so we often...[ Click to read more ]

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Snow Festivals in 2024

Jan 30, 2024 By Michael Stigall

It been a warm winter so far, but it is finally beginning the drop into the single digits. With that said, the possibility of snow begins to come to mind....[ Click to read more ]

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Plum Viewing in Tokyo – The Top Umemi Spots in 2024

Jan 29, 2024 By Michael Stigall

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 ]