Do you know Japanese capsule toy? Japanese people often call it “Gacha-Gacha” or “GachaPon”. It’s usually installed at shopping malls and supermarkets, so you may have seen before if you’ve been to Japan! These are toys that my daughter (2-year-old) has gotten by gacha. She loves “Anpanman”, the most popular […]
Introduction After having explored Hakone, we would like to present its southern neighbor, the prefecture of Shizuoka. Like Hakone, it is located on the way from Tokyo to Kyoto and also shares a significant portion of Mt Fuji, including the town of Fuji city. However, it is also home to […]
Cherry blossoms is one of the symbolic flowers in Japan and this is the time to enjoy it! Today, I took a cruise to enjoy it from different point of view. The route is designed to enjoy cherry blossoms – Ooyoko River Sakura Cruise! It was really interesting from history […]
Today, I would like to introduce the cultural event of March, the Hinamatsuri, taking place on March 3rd. Hinamatsuri, a day of celebration for girls and a yearly occasion to pray for the healthy growth and happiness of girls. We display Hina dolls in the house and decorate with Hishimochi […]
What is February 14th? Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day ! On this “Day of Love”, in many countries, men give gifts, roses, etc. to the woman they love… but not in Japan. In Japan, Valentine’s Day is mainly a day for women to give chocolates to men and not just one […]
Speaking of Japanese culture, in February is “Setsubun”. On this blogpost, I’d like to introduce you about Setsubun. Setsubun The word Setsubun means “separate the seasons”. In the past, the day before the beginning of each season (Risshun [spring], Rikka [summer], Risshu [autumn], Ritto [winter]) was called “Setsubun”. However, since […]
For the Japanese people, the Year-end and New Year times are some of the most important in the year (together with Obon in August). There are plenty of traditional activities and customs to appreciate the ending of the year and welcoming the new year. Recently these traditions are not always […]
Introduction History, Traditional Architecture, Crafts and more Situated on the western coast of Japan – opposite to Tokyo – Kanazawa has long been a “forgotten destination” for international travelers. With the opening of a brand new bullet train (shinkansen) line in 2015, it quickly gained its spot on the travel […]
Introduction The capital city of Japan is famous for being the largest city in the world. But did you know that it has not always been that way? There were actually many other cities designated as capital city before Tokyo, some of which do not exist anymore and other, more […]
Japanese Food has enjoyed a growing popularity internationally in recent years and has become one of the best ambassador for Japan. It is often on of the main reasons to visit the country (together with Golf, of course!). Here is a short article about Restaurants; what to expect, our recommendation […]