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.
This may come as a surprise to you (it will not, I’ve mentioned it too many times), but it snows a lot where I live.
Okayama is often overshadowed by its much more famous neighbor, Hiroshima, but it has plenty to offer in its own right. In addition to hosting the second largest city in the Chugoku region, Okayama City, it also serves as a primary transport hub connecting the Sanyo Shinkansen line with rail lines going to Shikoku.
Japanese culture holds a deep respect for seasonality. From the reflection of seasons in traditional Haiku, to the waves of seasonal foodstuffs celebrated in markets across the country, marking the changes through the year is taken very seriously here.
This is the 2nd part of our two-part introduction to Japan’s most famous summer festivals. In Part 1 we looked at the best festivals held in July. Below is the run-down for the August matsuri season.
Summer is the season for festivals in Japan. When a matsuri (festival) comes to your neighborhood the night resounds to the beat of taiko drums, and people put on colorful yukata (a light cotton kimono) before promenading through yatai (street stalls) where delicious treats and carnival games await. Every town has its own special matsuri, […]
When I take visitors from abroad to a festival in Japan, or just tell them about it (which is often, since they’re the entire country’s major and constant attraction from about May till September), I’m always careful to call it a festival and not a holiday.
