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- Snowy Monday Captured
- January 18th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events, Outdoor/Sports, Photography, Travel
- The first snow of the year fell last Monday, January 14. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, 7cm of snow fell in Tokyo and Chiba and the temperature in Tokyo last Monday noon was 0.8 degrees. This unusual event mixed in with excitement among children, but then ... » Continue Reading
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- Traditional Japanese Game: Hanetsuki
- January 17th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Outdoor/Sports, Play
- Hanetsuki is one of the many traditional Japanese games that resembles badminton. According to history, hanetsuki served as a rite during exorcisms, becoming a game for girls during the Muromachi period (1333-1568). It is played without a net, using a rectangular wood ... » Continue Reading
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- The Japanese Rite of Passage
- January 14th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events
- In various societies, entry into an age grade is marked by an initiation rite. Catholics have Confirmation, Jewish communities have their Bar and Bat Mitzvah while in Japan, they have the Seijin no hi or the Coming of Age Day. It is a Japanese holiday held on the ... » Continue Reading
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- A Parade of Japan’s Fire Brigades
- January 11th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events, Play, Travel
- Many people say you'll never be bored in Japan because there's so much to see. In fact, the first few days of the year of the water snake has already been colorful. There was Tamaseseri or Ball-catching festival in Fukuoka City and recently, Tokyo has celebrated the n ... » Continue Reading
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- Hitting the Target at 20
- January 11th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events, Play, Travel, Uncategorized
- In Japan, the 20th year of a person's life is the "coming of age" year. This is where teenagers officially enter the world of adulthood, to become more responsible citizens. Marked by a joyous and colorful celebration held every year in January, teenagers flock to Kyo ... » Continue Reading
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- Tamaseseri Festival
- January 9th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events, Travel
- Most of us celebrate and start the new year with resolutions that we'll really never do, aside from the usual fireworks display and colorful and yummy food. Japan is one of the countries in the world that has interesting celebrations and traditions. One of these ... » Continue Reading
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- New Year in Kyoto
- January 7th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events, Food & Dining, Play, Travel
- Ben and I went to Yasaksa Shrine near Chion-in Temple. We were originally planning to go to a temple, because of the Buddhist tradition of bell ringing just before midnight, but we got bored waiting in a line that started queueing at 7 pm. Temples do not allow food, e ... » Continue Reading
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- Traditional Japanese New Year Decoration, Kagami mochi
- January 4th, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Food & Dining, Play
- Kagami mochi 「鏡餅」 is a special traditional Japanese decoration for the New Year, usually displayed inside the house in the kamidana, for Toshigami, the god of the new year, to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. Kagami mochi is made from two rice cakes (mo ... » Continue Reading
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- From Hotei to Santa Claus
- December 27th, 2012Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Travel
- Christmas celebrations started in Japan after the arrival of Saint Francis Xavier, in 1549, and this was also the beginning of all the Christmas-related celebrations, including Santa Claus (サンタさん Santa-san, or サンタクロース Santa Kurōsu in Japanese). But the success of the ... » Continue Reading
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- The Ring of Wisdom
- December 21st, 2012Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Travel
- There are many places in Japan where the tradition says that if you perform some unusual act, you will get something in return. Probably the most famous such place is inside the Todaiji Temple from Nara, but I recently found something similar in Amanohashidate. An ol ... » Continue Reading
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- February 8, 2012
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- 10 things that you should know before coming to Japan
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- Unique Japanese fashion styles
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- Cats, Numbers and Other Japanese Superstitions
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- Hakone: A Day Trip to Remember
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