You’ll probably hear them before you see them. The sound of geta sandals clopping along the street is synonymous with the summer festival atmosphere in…

Miki Katoh is a Japanese artist who is truly dear to our hearts here at grape Japan. Her exquisite work “Auspicious Omens” graces the top…

There’s many reasons people wear kimono. Maybe they are attending a traditional event or festival. Perhaps they’re doing a photoshoot, or it may even be…

Earlier this year, we saw a stunningly gorgeous traditional Japanese style umbrella (wagasa) inspired by the country’s equally beautiful cherry blossom season. While fluttering sakura…

As the weather gets warmer here in Japan, we edge slowly but surely into yukata season. Yukata are light kimono, worn in the summer for…

(by Arielle Busetto for JAPAN Forward) Jotaro Saito doesn’t go unnoticed when walking down a street. The day I met him at Kanda Myojin, he…

One of the co-winners of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine this year is Japanese scientist, Tasuku Honjo. His discovery paved the way for…

Coca-Cola Japan has grabbed headlines in the past with Japan exclusive items such as Coca-Cola’s first ever alcoholic beverage, coffee Coke, and even frozen Coca-Cola…

Along side trending pop culture, promotional campaigns for tourism in Japan tend to focus on a smorgasbord of more traditional aspects of Japan. What they…

In recent years, an abundance of talented Japanese artists have begun to share their work on Twitter, to the appreciation of many. Whether it’s mind-blowing…

You might be familiar with the creative designs of Japanese brand Mocolle, a name which mixes the Japanese word for “fantasy” (mousou) with “collection” for…

As our readers may recall, last month, Kyoto pop singer Asachill guided us through the beautiful traditional Kyoto neighborhood of Pontocho where she grew up….

Geishas and maikos (apprentice geishas) in the hanamachi entertainment quarters of Gion and Pontocho gathered on January 7 to participate in a yearly ceremony to…

“SAGEMON GIRLS,” a promotional video for Yanagawa City in Fukoka Prefecture, known just as well for its unique tradition of hanging decorative balls called sagemon…

In a tweet which got shared over 46,000 times, Ise-Katagami textile stencil artist and self-styled “hybrid craftsman” Atsushi Kimura sent out the following desperate plea…