Japanese Culture

/Japanese Culture

Children’s Day in Japan

May the 5th is Children's Day in Japan. It was originally a celebration for boys, and was known as Tango-no-Sekku. In 1948, this day became a national holiday, with the aim to wish all children happiness and to thank mothers. There are many customs for wishing health and showing gratitude that people do on this [...]

By |May 5th, 2017|Japanese Culture, Traditional Japanese house|

Hay Fever

Since the beginning of this month, I have been sneezing more. I do no want to admit it, but I may have hay fever.. Hay fever is "kafunshou" in Japanese, and is a very popular allergy in Japan. Every spring you see advertisements for masks, allergy pills, soothing eye-drops, and even laundry detergent that not only removes [...]

By |March 13th, 2017|Japanese Culture|

Japanese Spring

Though it is still slightly cold in Japan, we are starting to see hints of spring. Spring is a joyous time in Japan, and people celebrate the upcoming spring even before the temperature starts to rise. The famous Seattle based coffee chain, has started selling a cherry blossom (sakura) flavored beverage. The new fiscal year commences during [...]

By |March 11th, 2017|Japanese Culture|

Girl’s Festival: Hina-Matsuri

The Girl’s Festival is an annual festival, celebrated on the third of March. As you can tell from its name, this festival is dedicated to little girls. The Japanese name is Hina-matsuri, the literal translation, “doll festival.” A set of Hina-matsuri dolls Dolls play an important role for this special day. Originally, the [...]

By |March 3rd, 2017|Japanese Culture|

Almost Spring

It is almost March, and the strong winds tell us that spring is just around the corner. A few days ago, the wind was so strong that planes could not land. I personally cannot wait for the cold days and long nights to end. Now, pink peach flowers are blossoming, and the scenery in Japan is [...]

By |February 21st, 2017|Japanese Culture|

Valentine’s Day around the Corner

Valentine's day is just around the corner. Every year, the day of love comes during the cold days to remind us that we want to cuddle up with someone. Japanese people celebrate Valentine's day, but there are some differences with western cultures. First of all, people give chocolates, unlike the western custom to give flowers. Second [...]

By |February 10th, 2017|Japanese Culture|

Spontaneous Road Trip for the Winter

The cold weather certainly makes you want to stay at home and cuddle up in a ball under the blankets all day. But going out on a winter road trip is a great way to get outside of the house and experience things you can only do in the cold season. My friends and I [...]

By |January 24th, 2017|Area, Japanese Culture, Places to Visit in Japan|

Setsubun

Setsubun is a special day in Japan that celebrates the change in season. It used to indicate the day before spring, summer, autumn, and winter; however, now setsubun is celebrated only on the day prior to the beginning of spring. Japanese people wish for a good and healthy year on this day by eating sushi [...]

By |January 17th, 2017|Japanese Culture, Traditional Japanese house|

Traveling in Japan

Japan is known for its oriental traditions, original subculture, and beautiful nature. As we get closer to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, you might be considering traveling to Japan in the near future. In fact, the number of tourists is rapidly increasing over the past few years, showing how popular a tourist attraction Japan is. Tokyo [...]

New Year’s

The Chinese New Year was celebrated during February with colorful dragons, Chinese food, gift exchanging, and fireworks. Japanese culture is greatly influenced by China; however, Japanese people have a different way of celebrating the New Year's. The New Year's holiday is a time for family. People who work in the city go back to their [...]

By |December 27th, 2016|Japanese Culture, Traditional Japanese house|