Summer festivals in Japan are marked by delicious street food, spectacular fireworks shows, and some fun carnival-type games. One other way to celebrate you may…

On March 5th, 2022, you have felt an ominous chill. If you were left wondering why, that’s because on that day Japan’s famous “Killing Stone”,…

Foxes feature prominently both in Japanese folklore and popular culture. As some grape Japan readers may recall, you can see fox wedding processions, find an…

The Killing Stone and the Nine-Tailed Fox As we reported earlier this month, the “Killing Stone” (殺生石 sesshō-seki) in Nasu, Japan, believed to be the…

Organized by Yokaiya (@AidaKazunari), the Nakanosawa Onsen Snow Festival held at a hot spring in the town of Inawashiro, Fukushima prefecture is an annual event…

On Halloween night, October 31st, 2021, residents of Kagoshima City were treated to a “fox wedding” procession. There are many legends about “fox weddings,” known…

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…

Japan’s foxy fixation with Dongitsune If you’ve spent any time in Japan over the past two years, chances are you’ve seen “Dongitsune.” Played by actress…

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 might not be a friendlier subject to artists than animals. With their adorable charm and fascinating quirks, they can provide a creative inspiration for…

We’ve seen the wonderful sounds of traditional Japanese instruments fuse old and new in fantastic ways before, with several artists treating us to traditional Japanese…