CULTURE

Jan 19, 2021life
All About Setsubun: The Bean-Throwing Festival

Setsubun is an annual festival celebrated widely both in private homes and public areas that at first glance seems to consist of equal parts charm and eccentricity. Can you imagine wearing a plastic devil-mask while the rest of your family gleefully pelts you with dried beans? This is a key part of the Setsubun celebration!

Jan 14, 2021culture
Japanese Traditional Garden Design Elements

Japanese gardens take many forms. There are large, meandering stroll gardens, hilly landscape gardens that can best be enjoyed from a single vantage point, smaller gardens attached to teahouses, tiny interior courtyard gardens, and stony dry landscapes.

Dec 30, 2020culture
The Top Ten Traditional Japanese Gardens Part 1

The tranquil gardens of Japan are famous for offering their visitors a sheltered landscape in which to stroll, sit and reflect. In this article we will introduce some of the most beautiful and fascinating gardens from across the country.

Nov 18, 2020culture
Cats in Japanese Culture

"I am a Cat" was the famed Japanese author Natsume Soseki’s first novel — written and published in the early 20th century. The main character is a house cat who, with humor and satire, describes the lives of the upper middle-class humans around it in all their pomposity.

Oct 20, 2020culture
Introduction to Online Gaming in Japan
In many ways, where the intern...
Sep 17, 2020culture
Japan’s Special Holiday Foods

Japan has a rich array of annual events and festivities that are celebrated through the seasons, each with their own special traditions, and each with their own special foods. In this article we are going to look at some of Japan’s most important seasonal foods, and examine their significance.

Aug 27, 2020culture
The Origins of Zen – A Flower and a Smile
When you think of the word Zen...
Jul 21, 2020culture
Things the Japanese do that foreigners might find strange

We often say that the Japanese culture is very different from the rest of the world and it sometimes feels like the codes of conduct expected by society are even the complete opposite of what could be applied elsewhere. Here are some of the first situations that you will most likely come across at the beginning of your journey through the world of Japan.

Jun 22, 2020culture
Sake Regional Variation
Sake is not wine, nor is it be...