japaneseculture
In Japan, there are several cultural signs that summer has arrived. As the rainy season in most of the country ends, scorching temperatures fill the vacuum. Kids go on summer vacation, and parents seek ways to deplete their seemingly boundless energy. The distinctive mating call of cicadas fills the air from parks to tree-lined streets. Fortunately for parents, the cicada and the end of the rainy season provide the perfect outlet for kids: bug catching in Japan. Mushi tori (bug catching) is a quintessential Japanese summer pastime for children. So, here’s an overview of bug catching in Japan, ...
GaijinPot
The traditions behind Japanese knife-making go back thousands of years. What began as powerful katana (swords) yielded by the fiercest samurai (warriors) evolved into kitchen knives and everyday cookware as Japan opened up to Western trade in the 1850s. Despite the move from swords, craftsmen applied the same techniques, materials and knowledge to make the best knives. To own a Japanese knife is to have a tangible piece of history. Musashi Japan is the perfect place to look if you want to invest in your first Japanese knife. As a brand, it strives to keep traditional knife-making techniques al...
GaijinPot
Alongside Akita’s Kanto, Aomori’s Nebuta and Sendai’s Tanabata, Yamagata’s Hanagasa Festival is among the four most important celebrations in the Tohoku region. Held annually during the first weekend of August, this festival is rich in music, dance and floral costumes. The Origins of HanagasaWhile several of the biggest festivals in Japan can boast centuries-long histories, Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri is a relatively young one that began in the 1960s. Initially held as a part of the 1963 Zao Summer Festival intended to promote local tourism, the Hanagasa Ondo Parade became popular enough to warr...
GaijinPot
Alongside Sendai’s Tanabata Festival and Aomori’s Nebuta Festival, Akita’s Kanto Matsuri is known as one of the three great festivals in the Tohoku region. For an evening of impressive performances that light up the night, make your way to Akita from August 3-6. Festival HistoryThe origins of the Akita Kanto Matsuri lay in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868). One of the earliest mentions of the celebration comes at the end of the 18th century in a document describing the festival’s connection to bountiful harvests and artistic production. Today, the Akita Kanto Matsuri takes place on a on...
GaijinPot
Betweenthe historic districts of Ueno and Asakusa lies Kappabashi Street (Kitchen Town), Tokyo’s hub for all things cookware. From 1912, a cluster of second-hand stalls soon evolved into a shotengai (shopping street) and is now home to several well-established specialty kitchenware stores. For those on the hunt for high-grade Japanese knives, Musashi Japan’s main Kappabashi Street branch is your one-stop shop. Inside Musashi Japan’s Main StoreWalking down busy Kappbashi Main Street, Musashi Japan’s storefront is open and inviting. It blends an open, bright concept with minimalist Japanese sens...
GaijinPot
The world is a confusing place and a frequently scary one, and what’s needed now more than ever are stable sureties and cast-iron guarantees that we can fall back on in turbulent times. We did not need this. In honour of Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary - which officially occurs on 1 November - the character’s flagship company Sanrio has dropped a bombshell that’s leaving everyone purr-plexed. The popular cartoon character, created by Yuko Shimizu, is apparently not a cat at all. “Hello Kitty is not a cat,” asserted Jill Koch, the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management at Sanrio...
Euronews (English)
One of the largest Japanese pop culture conventions in Europe, Japan Expo, opened its doors on Thursday in the French capital, Paris. From the latest mangas to handcrafted souvenirs, it’s the place to be for fans of Japanese culture with more than 900 exhibitors present alone this year. Osaka takes centre stage as the Japan Expo’s City of the Year which will also host the next World Expo in 2025. The World Expo is one of the oldest and largest international events, held every five years since 1851. It is a global platform for innovation and collaboration, hosting many countries from around the...
Euronews (English)
Kazuko Shiraishi, a leading name in modern Japanese “beat” poetry, known for her dramatic readings, at times with jazz music, has died. She was 93. Shiraishi, whom American poet and translator Kenneth Rexroth dubbed “the Allen Ginsberg of Japan,” died of heart failure on June 14, Shichosha, a Tokyo publisher of her works, said today. Shiraishi shot to fame when she was just 20, freshly graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo, with her “Tamago no Furu Machi,” translated as “The Town that Rains Eggs” — a surrealist portrayal of Japan’s wartime destruction. With her trademark long black hair an...
Euronews (English)
Cats as far as the eye can see: your idea of heaven or hell? Tashirojima, off Japan's northeastern coast, is home to more than 100 cats, leaving space for only 50 humans. Along a paved road running two kilometres between the island's two ports, cats groom themselves and mingle with other cats. Everything is built around their comfort, so you won't find any car rental shops, petrol stations or public transportation here. Tourists are expected to walk up and down the island's hills while visiting. Most of the cats are used to tourists, who can be seen petting the friendly animals throughout the ...
Euronews (English)
Soba; a delicious, healthy alternative to ramen. A relatively easy-to-make dish, soba (蕎麦, そば) noodles are one of the most famous traditional foods found in Japan. Archaeological evidence shows that buckwheat has been cultivated in Japan since the Jomon Period (about 10,000 years ago). In the simplest terms, soba is made from finely ground buckwheat mixed with water into a dough, cut into long, thin noodles, then boiled. It’s essentially the same process as making pasta. Soba is then served with tsuyu(つゆ), a soup base made from dried bonito and kombu kelp dashi (stock) and soy sauce, and other...
Savvy Tokyo
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