2024 Sapporo Snow festival will be held from 4th February to 11th February. The Snow Festival is one of Hokkaido’s most famous events, with Sapporo’s main street lined with statues and sculptures made with ice and snow. Every year more…
The Expat's Guide to Japan
Everything you need to know about living and working in Tokyo & Yokohama
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Yearly Archives: 2011
Preparing for the New Year
Christmas decorations come down quickly in Japan to make way for the most important Japanese holiday – New Year’s. Preparations for the end of the year are many and require time. Offices and homes are cleaned, accounts are settled, and…
Kotatsu: A Traditional Way to Stay Warm and Save Energy
Although temperatures rarely fall below 0℃ in Kanto, winters can seem especially cold in Japanese houses with little insulation. Places without central heating, are often heated by kerosene and electric space heaters, or electric wall unit heaters. Along with allowing…
Closing out the year – A winter scene in Ameyoko
There are few places in Tokyo like Ueno’s Ameyoko. A remnant of the from the post-war days when basic food staples like white rice and sugar were in short supply, maintains a tradition of outdoor vendors hawking goods, yelling prices…
Shrines and Temples of Nikko
Nikko’s Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮), Futarasan shrine (日光二荒山神社), the 103 buildings of the Rinno-ji (輪王寺) and the ruins that surround it, have all been designated as World Heritage Sites. The most famous of Nikko’s many sights, the Tōshō-gū is a shrine dedicated…
Owara Kaze-no-bon
Matching their dance with the sentimental mood of the folk song “Etchu Owara” (越中おわら節), the dancers at this festival dance in a more subdued and elegant manner, while parading through town. On occasion, spectators are also welcome to join the…
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Serving as a monument to remind of the powerful and disastrous force of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this site is also referred to as a “negative heritage”. Until the bombing on the August 6th 1945, the building had been…
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
Serving as a monument to remind of the powerful and disastrous force of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this site is also referred to as a “negative heritage”. Until the bombing on the August 6th 1945, the building had been…
Tsuyu
Right in between Japan’s multicolored spring and scorching hot summers is a period of about 40-50 days, when the otherwise pleasant summer months become unusually gloomy, wet, and humid. This is tsuyu, Japan’s official monsoon season. (Also called plum rain…
Kanda Festival
Kanda Festival will be held from 11th May 2023 to 17th May 2023. Internet TV will be available on 13th and 14th May 2023. This festival takes place at Kanda Myōjin (神田明神, Kanda Shrine), which has a history going back…
Back to School Japanese Style
April in Japan not only means cherry blossom viewing and streets flooded with university job hunters, but it also marks the beginning of another school year for Japan’s youngest. Now, most expat families choose to send their kids to international…
Drunk on Cherries
While you may have heard Japanese friends or acquaintances tell you about Japan’s “unique” four seasons, and while this may come as a surprise to some foreign visitors from countries that count the exact same number, the undeniable beauty of…
Trip to Eastern Akita (3) – Lake Tazawa and Kakunodate
Lake Tazawa (Tazawako) Leaving Tsurunoyu Onsen, we travelled further into the mountains. After about 30 minutes, we suddenly caught sight of the blue of a lake through the spaces in the trees. As the car left the mountain forest, our…
Trip to Eastern Akita (2) – Nyuto Onsen
Following dinner, we set out from Misato-cho for , about an hour and 15 minute drive by car. Our ryokan, a single structure called , maintained a modern appearance amidst the rustic onsen village, situated in a lush forest at…
Satokagura: Folk Stage Performance Comes Alive at Saitama Kaikan
If represents Buddhism and high art, and the secular theatre, , and specifically , is the theatre of Shinto and of the countryside. Because of this, it seems fitting that tonight’s performance, while although not held at a shrine, is…
Sadogashima (Sado Island)
Sado Island might appear small on the map but its separation from the mainland, as well its diversity of terrain and abundance of nature make it seem much larger than it looks. From the port in Niigata – two hours…
New Entries into the UNESCO World Heritage List
Amidst the seemingly endless string of bad news that has centered around the Tohoku region of Japan, a recent decision by UNESCO manages to bring hope and pride back to the citizens of the disaster stricken area. In June 2011,…
Are there electronics that can be used back home?
Japanese electric/broadcast specifications differ from most other countries, which prevents you from using appliances from your home country. Unfortunately, 99% of the products sold in Japan are designed according to Japanese specifications with instruction manuals in Japanese only. Sony Overseas…
Atami
Got a free weekend? Hawaii and Guam are too far away, and Okinawa’s too expensive? Shizuoka might just be the place for you then. To be precise, the small and cozy seaside town of Atami. Located just 100km south of…
Daikanyama: Shibuya’s Stylish Laid Back Sister
For many first time visitors to Japan, Tokyo is usually defined by the major stations on the Yamanote Line. Shinjuku for department stores and skyscrapers, Harajuku and Shibuya for a glimpse at Japanese youth culture, Akihabara for electronics, games and…
Cool Food – A Guide to Japan’s Culinary Summer
You may not have witnessed the subtle change at one of your visits to the conbini or the local supermarket yet, but Japan’s culinary summer has already begun. With food always being an indicator of seasons in Japan, it shouldn’t…
Setsuden – What Can You Do?
With the summer months ahead, the time where being inside with an open window leaves you at just the right temperature will soon be coming to an end. In the past, this meant the beginning of the Cool Biz season,…
Shiretoko
Shiretoko is the southernmost point in the northern hemisphere with seasonal sea ice, which makes it the home for a unique and original natural landscape. It is abundant in marine life represented by salmon, as well as a rich diversity…
Shirakami-Sanchi
Of the 130,000 hectare of mountainous terrain in Akita and Aomori prefecture, more than 17,000 hectare has been designated as a World Heritage Site. This area remains completely untouched by humans and includes the world’s largest beech forest, as well…
Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
This village is famous for its houses with traditionally thatched roofs and its renowned rearing of silkworms. Together with the surrounding mountains and fields, it creates a truly beautiful landscape. Due to the notorious winter snowfalls, this community was occasionally…
Sacred Sites in the Kii Mountain Range
The three sacred mountain ranges Yoshino/Omine, Kumano Sanzan and Koyasan and the connecting pilgrimage path have had an immensely important effect on Japanese religious and cultural growth and exchange. This is a place famous as the origin of the special…
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
In Nara, which had been the Japanese capital from 710 to 784, before this moved to Kyoto, you can feel the long lasting effect that religion had, and still has, on the city in the form of Buddhist temples and…
Buddhist Monuments in the Horyuji Area
The Horyuji Temple (法隆寺), which was completed in the year 607, is known as the world’s oldest remaining wooden structure. It was also Japan’s first ever designated World Heritage Site and during the time following its construction had a profound…
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
The ancient monuments of Kyoto are world famous and one of Japan’s most beloved sightseeing spots. The Kiyomizu Temple (清水寺) as well as Kinkakuji (金閣寺, golden pavilion) in Kyoto City, Byodoin (平等院) in Uji City and the Enryaku Temple (比叡山延暦寺)…
Himeji Castle
Representative of early 17th century Japanese castle architecture, Himeji Castle (姫路城) is regarded as one of Japan’s most impressive wooden structures. The beautiful white stucco walls make the building not only beautiful to look at, but also act at as…
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine
With a history of about 400 years in mining, this is Japan’s most well known silver mine. It is estimated that 30% of the silver that was in circulation during the 100 years between the middle of the 16th and…
Yakushima
Covering an area of roughly 500km2 and a circular circumference of 130km, Yakushima (屋久島) is an impressive granite based island. Despite being a comparatively small island, it has an abundance of mountains over 1,000m, and a climate that ranges from…
Gusuku Sites and the Ryukyu Kingdom
Located mainly in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island are the remains of 9 Ryukyu Kingdom castles. The native word “Gusuku” can be translated directly as “castle”. The Ryuku Kingdom (琉球王国) was established in 1429 and remained an independent…
Sapporo White Illumination
Along with the Sapporo Snow Festival, this artistic light display has become a well known reminder of winter. Now in its 33rd year, the festival grew from one location and 1,000 light bulbs to become known throughout the country. Objects…
Hachinohe Emburi
This festival is carried out in hope of a successful harvest. Dancers wearing hats representing horse head carry out a very unique and stylized dance, in which they wave their heads back and forth, while singing traditional rice farming songs.…
Aomori Nebuta
At this festival, giant models of warriors and lantern decorated floats are taken through the city among powerful shouts. One of the many theories about the origin of the festival is that it is based on the “Tanabata” festival, during which…
Akita Kanto Festival
This festival originated from the ancient tradition of fending off the evil spirits of the summer, in hope of better health and crops. Participants parade through the streets with giant bamboo sticks to which an uncountable number of paper lanterns…
Yamagata Hanagasa Festival
This parade centers around floats, lavishly decorated with flower arrangements, and the accompanying dancers, dancing to Hanagasa Ondo folk songs, with their trademark red flower hats in hand. Over the three days of the festival, more than 1 million spectators…
Sukagawa Taimatsu Akashi
Counted as one of the three largest fire festivals in Japan, this powerful and magnificent festival lights up the late fall season. Started to mourn the lost soldiers of Sukagawa Castle, which fell over 400 years ago, the festival consists…
Trip to Eastern Akita (1) – Misato Town
Situated one hour from Akita Airport by car, a trip to , with its expanse of fields and green mountains that stretch out as far as the eye can see, is enough to release anyone from the oppression of the…
Sannō Festival
This is one of the three major Edo festivals (江戸三大祭). This historic festival centers around Hie Shrine (日枝神社), the patron shrine of a wide area of central Tokyo which includes the Tokyo Imperial Palace compounds, and is meant to express…
Big Float Festival of Sawara
Sawara no Taisai (佐原の大祭, The Big Float Festival in Sawara) is a traditional festival that dates back more than 300 years. The festival takes place twice a year, once in July in the Honjuku area (the east side of the…
Kawagoe Festival
The Kawagoe Festival (川越まつり) is a brilliant, gorgeous festival that takes place in what is often referred to as “Koedo” (小江戸), or Little-Edo, a town known for its many, well preserved, old fashioned Japanese ware-houses and businesses from several centuries…
Torinoichi
Torinoichi (酉の市) is the religious festival of Otori Shrine that takes place every year on the Day of the Rooster (酉の日, Tori no hi) in November. The festival flourished around the Kanto area during the Edo Period, with the celebration…
Chichibu Yomatsuri
This festival, with a history of over 300 years is designated as part of Japan’s “Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties”. On the 2nd and 3rd, cars and floats decorated with paper lanterns parade the city. Some of these have performance…
Takayama Festival
This festival takes place in spring and autumn. Several hundreds of people dress up in traditional Japanese attire and dance and parade through town to old Shinto songs led by lion dancers. Designated as one of Japan’s “Important Intangible Folk…
Hamamatsu Festival
This festival celebrates the birth of the first son in the last year. With more than 1 million visitors, it ranges as one of the largest festivals in Japan. During the day, there are a number of kite flying competitions…
Kakegawa Festival
The fall festival in Kakegawa (掛川祭) is famous for its performances, “yatai” floats, and lion dance. The Grand Festival takes place only once every three years, the next being in 2012, with performers from each town dancing in procession. The…
