Expo ’70 Commemorative Park
In 1970, the Japan World Exposition was held in Suita City, Osaka. It was the first Expo in Asia. This world fair lasted for 183 days and turned out to …
Chopstick rest
Chopstick rest – What image do these words bring to you? Today, let me introduce one of the beautiful aspects of Japanese culture, using chopstick rests. ☆History First, this is …
Maneki Neko, the Beckoning Cat
Manekineko, a beckoning cat, is well known as a figure which you can find at the entrance of the shops or restaurants in Japan. It can be found with either …
Make the Most of Natsu Doyo (夏土用), the Hottest Days in Japan
Have you ever eaten Unagi, or eel? It looks really delicious, doesn’t it? There is a Japanese custom of eating eel on a certain day during the hottest days of …
The 13 Best Products to Buy at Daiso
Hyakkin literally means “one hundred yen” (in Japanese, hyaku-en, and also represented as ¥100 or 100円). Hyaku means “one hundred,” and “yen” is the English pronunciation of the Japanese currency, …
Understanding Road Signs in Japan
Let’s learn the road signs in Japan Do you want to drive around Japan? If so, I highly recommend investing some time into learning as many road signs as possible …
Cheers with Non-alcoholic drinks!
Compared to the past, non-alcoholic beer, wine, and chuhai have become much more common. You can often find them in supermarkets and liquor stores. I used to rarely drink non-alcoholic …
Welcome to “Shigaraki,” the City of Ceramic Art
Have you been to Shiga prefecture? Most of the foreigners don’t know about Shiga, although a few people might know about the biggest lake, Lake Biwa. Shiga is located on …
Taka-jizou(高地蔵）Story
Have you seen the cute-looking “Ojizo-san” statues before? They can be found in many places, for example, at Buddhist temples, graveyards, and on the side of the road in Japan. …
Manazuru is a small town for living a quiet life with sea, forest, and stones.
Manazuru is a small port town on the Manazuru Peninsula, located in the southwestern part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It’s a 1.5 hour local train ride from Tokyo. The town has …