Fun Japanese Slang: Car Edition

Let’s be real: Japanese people love playing with their language to create new phrases and words. As the summer holiday descends upon the country and more people hit the roads, let’s take a look at two of the fun phrases and slang I’ve managed to accumulate related to cars and driving while living here in […]

Watching Sumo Live at Ryogoku Kokugikan

Japan has many traditional sports that have come and gone in popularity over the years, but one that seems to continue to capture the imagination is sumo. After a pandemic and a bit of procrastination, a friend of ours offered us the opportunity to go to the main sumo stadium in Japan, the Ryogoku Kokugikan, […]

Tabi: Traditional Japanese Socks

Are you a person who shudders at the sight of someone wearing socks with sandals? Well, I have some bad news for you: That is pretty common in Japan, but it isn’t a new development. Socks have been worn with sandals for hundreds of years, and Japanese socks have been honed and perfected by craftsmen […]

Kaga-Yuzen: Kimono Painting in Kanazawa

Did you know there are three big Kimono styles in Japan? The first, of course, is the old capital of Kyoto, and the second is the new capital of Tokyo. What is the third? Kanazawa, the hidden gem on the northern coast! They are renowned for their kimono painting technique, Kaga-Yuzen, and we got to […]

Traditional Japanese Textiles: Nishijin-Ori

Kyoto, the old capital of Japan, has a lot of history, a lot of culture, and a lot of claims to fame: the purest water for the best sake, tofu, and green tea; historic temples on mountaintops with blessed waters; resplendent castles that host innovating art. One interesting aspect of Kyoto’s culture that doesn’t seem […]

Bingata: Okinawan Coral Prints

Okinawa has a rich and unique island culture that makes it stand apart from other prefectures in Japan. Once its own kingdom, it brought many of its cultures and crafts into the Japanese consciousness, including its own styles of dyeing cloths known as Bingata.

Kyoto Railway Museum

Trains make up a very integral part of life here in Japan, and there are plenty of train museums to go around. During a trip to Kyoto, we decided to take the plunge and go full train mode and learn a bit more about railway history and see a visiting celebrity!

Japanese Voodoo Dolls: Wara Ningyo

Have you ever hated someone so much that you constructed multiple dolls, stayed up until the dead of night, snuck into a temple, and nailed those bad boys to sacred trees to call harm and misfortune to your enemies? No? Yes? Cursing others seems to be pretty universal across cultures, so why not learn about […]

Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama

If you ask anyone about hot springs, or onsen, in Japan, a few key locations will inevitably pop up. One such place is Dogo Onsen, one of the oldest and most celebrated on the rural island of Shikoku.

Nagamachi Samurai District in Kanazawa

Kanazawa is a treasure in Japan: It’s one of my favorite cities, beaten only by the likes of Hiroshima. One of the coolest parts of Kanazawa has to be its incredibly well-preserved samurai district, where the famous warriors once lived back in the Edo period.