Shinjuku Gyoen is a national park/ garden in Japan located in the heart of Tokyo, in Shinjuku. It is my favorite park in Japan and must be one of the most beautiful parks in the world. No matter what time…
Do you know Mizuhiki?
You often see cute knot ornaments like the one in this image in Japanese gift stores.
Earthquakes
Are there earthquakes where you live? Japan is part of the Ring of Fire, a grouping of countries around the world that sit on tectonic plates and tend to have a lot of earthquakes. The most well-known earthquake from Japan…
The graduation season in Japan
Late March marks the beginning of the graduation season. Instead of starting a new school year in September as in many countries, the new school year in Japan starts in April, so many graduation ceremonies are held at the end of in March.
White Day
I’m sure everyone is familiar with Valentine’s Day, but have you heard of White Day? This is a unique holiday to Japan that takes place on March 14th, one month after Valentine’s Day. In western countries, Valentine’s Day is a…
How to celebrate the “Girl’s Day”?
I thought the International Women’s Day on March 8 is probably the most well-known anniversary for women, but after coming to Japan, I learned that there is an annual event in Japan called Hinamatsuri (Gril’s Day/Doll’s Festival), which celebrates the growth of girls from far back in time. I feel that this one is more well-known in Japan.
Living in Japan during the pandemic
The pandemic has really shaped the last 2 years of life for everyone on a global scale, and living in a foreign country during a global pandemic has been an experience in itself. If you’ve been wanting to travel or…
The Eastern Valentine?
February 14th is known as Valentine’s Day, but did you know that in Eastern cultures, there is also a day for lovers that corresponds to Valentine’s Day? In fact, the 15th day of the Chinese New Year is the Chinese…
Yokohama Minato Mirai
Have you been to Yokohama? It’s a major city just outside of Tokyo. It’s a harbor city, with lots of views of Tokyo Bay from all over the city. I think it’s one of Japan’s most attractive modern cities. There…
What stone statues do you have in your city?
Last week I visited Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture. It was a short trip, but I found a lovely stone statue near the train station.