Unless you are a ski bunny or a masochist, there should be no doubt that winter is the worst of all months. Cold and wet, skies as ashen as the...[ 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 Shinenkai parties to bring in...[ Click to read more ]
Christmas time in Tokyo can be a bit surreal. On the one hand, there are Christmas markets, gigantic sales, innumerable shopping centers, and more decorations than you would expect, but...[ Click to read more ]
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 ]
For those of us who are used to the creature comforts of central heating, double-paned windows, and insulated buildings, winter in Japan – where none of these is the standard...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of skiing in Japan. We’re a long way from the Nagano Alps and even further from Hokkaido, but...[ Click to read more ]
There’s nothing more exhilarating than standing on the top of a slope, the pure white snow stretching out below you, or that moment when you lean forward and the wind...[ Click to read more ]
When I first heard about mochi, my heart went out to Japan's children. You see, where I'm from, sweets really are just that: sweet. And so, when I was told...[ Click to read more ]
Japan only started celebrating the New Year on January 1st, 1873, when the country adopted the Gregorian calendar of the West. Traditionally, the Japanese New Year was the same as...[ Click to read more ]
How do you get warm and stay warm when the temperature in Hiroshima drops during the winter? Ah, that’s easy, hot sake! With the weather getting cooler, now is the...[ Click to read more ]