Monthly Archives: October 2015

Autumn Leaves in Tokyo

Though Tokyo is often viewed as a concrete jungle, there are plenty of places where the effects of the changing seasons on nature can be seen and appreciated. This guide contains some of the best locations, both in the city

Seasonal Food – Autumn

Seasonality is an important aspect of Japanese culture, and in no area does it play a greater role than in the world of food and drink. The concept of “shun” (旬) refers to ingredients that are at their seasonal best,

Kusumi Morikage: From Adversity, a Gentle Gaze at Familiar Things

Kusumi Morikage (久隅守景) was a student of Kano Tan’yu, one of the foremost painters of the early Edo period. Much of Morikage’s work focused on the everyday lives of ordinary people, exemplified in his depictions of village life through the

“My number” – What you need to know

If you are resident in Japan, you may have heard talk about a new social security number system that was introduced in 2015. Nicknamed “my number” in Japanese, this Individual Number system identifies each resident by a single 12-digit number

Machiawase: Tokyo’s Famous Rendezvous Spots

Tokyo is the biggest city in the world, and if you haven’t gotten lost here at least once, you’re not trying hard enough. Even if you manage to keep a track of where you are, arranging to meet someone in

Shika no Tsunokiri (deer horn cutting)

For almost 330 years, the Shika no Tsunokiri has been a marker of the fall season in Nara since the Edo Period. The event was started to protect townspeople, as well as valuable cultural properties from being damaged by bucks’

Daiso Harajuku

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Meiji-jingu Outer Garden

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