Festive felt decorations let you celebrate Girl’s Day and Setsubun at home
Festival days in Japan are rooted in centuries-old customs that are still faithfully honored to this day. Two of the most festive and symbolic days…
Culture
Perfectly timed shots of Gifu Castle are an ode to Japanese historical leaders
Earlier this month, Japanese photographer Hisa (@hisa0808) tweeted two photos of Gifu castle in Gifu prefecture, and they’ve gotten a lot of attention not just…
‘Japan, as not seen in the guidebooks’ – Chris Broad on conveying a Japan that even Japanese people overlook
He was nominated to call out the Word of the Year in 2017, cycled 2,000km across Japan on a pushbike (not a racer), suffered defeat…
Remembering the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923
Much is made of Tokyo’s ability to blend the old with the new, as if a conscious choice had been made as to what to…
Yokohama Doll Museum celebrates Hina Matsuri with special Yukako Goto exhibition
No matter the time of year, there’s always an upcoming festival ready to steal the show in Japan. Some festivities may vary from region to…
Miniature taiko drum sets make authentic sounds when struck
The wide world of Japanese capsule toys often features while incredibly fun to display and look at, very niche standouts such as “the type of…
Japanese mangaka Ozaki Keishi creates manga based on his real-life international marriage
It is a fact that manga is popular and loved by many people around the world. These Japanese comic books have many genres and subgenres,…
This ehomaki roll from Daimaru features an Amabie in every single slice!
Following up on the New Year and Seijin no Hi 成人の日(Coming-of-age Day), the next big event of the Japanese calendar is Setsubun 節分. Setsubun can…
Photographer captures stunning shots of mountain shrine blanketed in snow
Japanese Twitter user and photographer Yuji Shibasaki (@Yuji_48) writes that he focuses on snapping shots of night views and starry skies in Tokyo and Saitama….
Waterless “air onsen” provides new way to relax in traditional Japanese hot springs
Onsen, or traditional Japanese hot springs, are perhaps the most relaxing highlight of spending time at a Japanese inn or just a day at a…
Natsume Sōseki in London: “a dog thrown into the company of wolves.”
Natsume Sōseki 夏目漱石 is one of Japan’s most famous novelists, and the only one to grace a banknote. He is credited with pioneering the synthesis…
Nana Asano: The Heisei-Born 21-year-old who yearns for the Showa Era
As an enthusiast of vintage-inspired fashion, past decades, and a fan of Japan’s ‘bubble period’ and Showa myself, I tend to watch anything related to…
“Are you a messenger of the gods?”: Japanese photog’s mysterious shot of a shrine at night
Visiting a Shinto shrine in the middle of the night is not usually recommended. Some Japanese people think that ghosts may appear… One night, at…
Peering Into 2021: Tanjiro Kamado Battles Big Tech
Peter Tasker, Arcus Research, for JAPAN Forward In the year of the coronavirus, more than one sixth of the entire Japanese population went to the…
Super long eel sushi roll plushie is your new good luck cuddle buddy
Setsubun is a day in Japan that marks the official beginning of spring. To ensure good luck, many people eat ehomaki, a particularly long type…