Fujiidera City (藤井寺市) Part 2: Ways to enjoy the modern-day Fujiidera
This will be a continuation from Part 1. I wrote about the history and sightseeing spots of Fujiidera City. On top of that, I focused on the World Heritage Site …
The birth of “Anpan,” a sweet bun with red bean paste
Generally speaking, “anpan” is a small bun filled with red bean paste which has been quite popular as a sweets amongst Japanese people. “An” means the filling inside the bread, …
Circles in Japan
“I’ve got a lot of circles!!” If you hear a Japanese kid saying something like this with a big smile, can you guess what the circles are? Circles play an …
Kansai People Call Candy “Ame-chan”, like a person
“Chan” “San” I’ve called hard candies “Ame-chan”, and I have lived my life without questioning it. As I have more opportunities to talk about cultural differences with people who live …
Uji City ~ the town of history and tea ~
Byodo-in Temple, one of the World Heritage Sites in Uji, was originally a villa of Fujiwara no Michinaga (藤原道長), an aristocrat in the Heian period. The aristocrats preferred Uji, as …
Roll Up For the Mystery Tour!
“Roll up! Roll up for the magical mystery tour! Step right this way!” (lyrics from Magical Mystery Tour from the album Magical Mystery Tour) This year (2022) the Beatles celebrated …
How to Enjoy Japanese Izakaya!
What is Izakaya (居酒屋)? How does it differ from Western pubs and bars? According to Wikipedia, they are Japanese-style pubs and bars. Compared to Western bars, Izakaya offers a wider …
Tarai Udon たらいうどん
Udon is the longest-loved noodle dish among Japanese people, and it is popular throughout Japan. It is usually served in a noodle bowl. Have you ever seen Udon in a …
Weekend Trip to Karuizawa in Autumn
Karuizawa—known as one of the most famous resort areas in Nagano prefecture in Japan. There are a lot of vacation homes. It takes around one hour by Shinkansen JR. According …
Osaka Castle Part 2
This is the main gate of Osaka Castle, Otemon-gate. It was built in 1628 by the second owner of this castle, the Tokugawa shogunate. Many other parts of its construction …