Onigawara, the Guardian Deity of the Japanese House
In Japanese we have the word “Satsuki Bare” that means a bright clear day in May, and we have more opportunities to look up at the sky than on dark …
Author: Yumi.H
Enjoy Viewing Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto
You may know that viewing cherry blossoms is one of the most pleasurable springtime activities in Japan. Since cherry blossoms start blooming in the early spring when it’s getting warmer, …
Soul Food for the People of Ise
Have you ever been to Ise, or have you ever heard of it? Ise is a coastal city in the middle of Mie Prefecture. I’ve never lived there, but I’ve …
The 8 Japanese Virtues From My Perspective
When I think of Japanese virtues, I always remember a book, Nanso Satomi Hakkenden(南総里見八犬伝), by Takizawa Bakin. I read it in elementary school, and through the story, I learned about …
Gift-Giving Culture in Japan
I’m writing this article between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and I have a question for you. Did you have a good time on Thanksgiving with your family and get …
How to Enjoy the Fall in Kyoto
As you may know, there are so many places where you can enjoy the fall in Japan. But today, I’d like to introduce one of my favorite routes for a …
Japanese Comfort Food, Onigiri
Introduction Hi everyone! What do you think this is? It’s a Japanese comfort food, called onigiri. Today, I’d like to introduce onigiri, or rice balls, to the world. I don’t …
How to Predict the Gender of the Coming Baby: Old Wives’ Tales in Japan.
For most moms/dads-to-be, guessing the gender of the coming baby is very exciting. Of course, you will know it by a particular medical check up like a blood test or …
How to understand hannarism in Kyoto
What is “hannari”? Have you heard the word, hannari (はんなり)? Hannari describes people’s impression of the Kyoto dialect. It is used to describe a person who is graceful, natural, and …
How to Koban
If you take a walk, you might see a sign that says “koban”. What is a koban? A koban is a police box. It’s the smallest unit of each prefectural …