During the month of May you will find hundreds of young students in uniform at historic spots in Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima. You may think they are skipping classes in a group but actually they are enjoying a field trip. School trips are a part of the school education in Japan and it’s compulsory for most of...Read More
As with many words in Japanese, the word “onsen” (温泉) has different meanings. The two main meanings are either a hot spring, or a group of traditional inns and hotels that have been developed around a hot spring. For the purpose of this blog, we will use the latter meaning. Since it is a geothermally-active...Read More
The imperial system in Japan can be traced back almost 2,000 years and is very different from any other king-and-queen system anywhere else in the world. The first-born son of the current emperor is always the next-in-line to the throne. Among the many duties of the emperor, the most important is to set an example...Read More
In Japan, we are so in love with cherry blossom flowers that we have used scientific technology to accurately determine what exact day these flowers will blossom in what area and what exact their petals will fall in what area. We are crazy about cherry blossoms! There are researchers and meteorologists who monitor the temperature...Read More
Valentine’s Day, a day for women to express their love to their boyfriends Written by Takako “Tammy” Ota, Kyoto Staff Women are supposed to be graceful and shy in Japan. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity for these women to express their feelings to their boyfriends. Women typically give chocolates to men on that day. There...Read More
Rakugo is a form of traditional Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone storyteller dressed in traditional Japanese clothing kneels on the stage while telling a long and complicated comical (or sometimes sentimental) story. The story always involves the dialogue between two or more characters. The different characters are depicted only through a change in pitch, tone,...Read More
Geiko (modern day Geishas) are arguably the most iconic symbol of Japan. Their kimonos and white makeup distinguish them as an almost Japanese celebrity. The name Geiko translated literally means “person of the arts” as they are highly trained in various performing arts, including traditional Japanese dance and classical music. Some of their other training...Read More
Japan is well known for its unique and delicious food, however many people don’t know just how unique some meals can be. Fugu, or blowfish, is one of these delicacies. There are over 100 species of poisonous fugu world-wide, and many are sold in Japanese restaurants as a luxury dish. The poison (tetrodotoxin) is contained...Read More
I am writing again about one of my favorite subjects: Japanese movies. One of my favorite Japanese movie series is Zatoichi, The Blind Swordsman. A total of 26 movies were made between 1962 and 1989, and 105 television shows were made between 1974 to 1979 making it the longest-running action series in Japanese history. Oddly...Read More
It’s easy to get lost in the towering skyscrapers and bright lights when walking around the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, but if you look closely enough you will find a cramped alleyway called memory lane (known as piss alley to the locals). This local hotspot started out as an illegal drinking quarter after World War...Read More
