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 Kyoto
Local information in Kyoto
When You Wish upon the Stars ~七夕 ”Tanabata”~
There is a traditional star festival that takes place on July 7th in Japan. On that day, people put up a lot of decorations made from origami paper and colorful …
Soba – The Noodle With a Thousand Faces – Part 2
I’d like to introduce to you some localized varieties of soba found in different parts of Japan. Some of them are standard, but there are some unique alternatives. Let’s explore …
The unknown sites of Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
It’s no secret that Fushimi Inari Shrine attracts a great number of tourists from around the world. Everyone knows the iconic vermilion torii gates called Senbon Torii (千本鳥居,thousands of torii …
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 …
Ohenro (お遍路) -88 Temples Pilgrimage- in Kyoto
Pilgrimage in Kyoto? As you know, Kyoto has a lot of sightseeing spots, such as Kinkakuji temple, Kiyomizudera temple, Bamboo forest in Arashiyama and Fushimi-Inari shrine. Each is absolutely stunning, …
Enjoy the Eizan Railway, enjoy my hometown Ichijoji
“Onoriyasu” Eiden, “Oideyasu” to my hometown Ichijoji! Hi everyone! Today I’d like to introduce a small local railway which runs through my home town. It is called the Eizan Dentetsu …
The 3 Best Places to Work and Study for Free in Downtown Kyoto
Kyoto is known as the most popular tourist spot in Japan because you can experience a whole bunch of historic locations and various traditional Japanese activities. But at the same …