Kobe Port Tower
When people think of the Kansai region, Osaka and Kyoto often come to mind first. Osaka is known for its lively street culture, while Kyoto is famous for its traditional …
Tag: Kansai
The Colors of Takatsuki – Music and Carp Streamers
Takatsuki is a city located just at the halfway point between Osaka and Kyoto. Conveniently, both JR and Hankyu express trains stop at it. Today, I’d like to introduce two …
Unraveling the Unique Osaka-ben (Part 2)
Hello, everyone! In the previous article, I wrote about “-nen (ねん)” and “-yanen (やねん),” which correspond to the Osaka dialect’s well-known sentence endings in standard Japanese for the present tense, …
Unraveling the Unique Osaka-ben (Part 1)
Japan has many different dialects. One reason for this is that words originated in the capital or cultural centers and spread to the regions through transmission. This happened because the …
What to See, Do, and Eat in Kyoto Tower!
Kyoto Tower: the iconic landmark of Kyoto that stands right in front of Kyoto Station. Can you guess what inspired its design? You might think it resembles a candle since …
Uniquely Osakan Products and Places
Why not stop and visit Osaka while you are in Japan? Osaka is one of the biggest urban cities and there are a lot of attractive tourist spots. You’ll have …
How to Enjoy Buddhist Statues in Kyoto!
Buddhist statues, which were introduced to Japan in the 6th century from the Korean peninsula via India and China along with the arrival of Buddhism, have been objects of Japanese …
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 …
Kitsune (Fox)? Tanuki (Raccoon dog)? 〜Tokyo vs. Osaka～
Hi! I’m Rei. I’m in Tokyo. One day, I was talking with my best friend Chisato who lives in Osaka. Rei: It’s getting colder, isn’t it? Winter is just around …
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 …