Culture– category –

When it comes to celebrating Christmas, Japan adds its own unique flair to the holiday season. One of the most delightful and distinctly Japanese traditions is the Christmas Boot—a boot-shaped container filled with treats and small gifts...

Tea holds a significant place in Japanese culture, deeply embedded in its traditions and daily life. The practice of making and consuming tea has evolved over the centuries, yet it remains a vital part of Japanese society. Japanese tea c...

Theater is a great form of storytelling where people can express their creativity and talent on stage. In Japan, theater is a great tradition of cultural arts. The costumes, music, and expression all require time, dedication, and talent....

Vending machines have become more and more popular as our lives become more and more busy. The convenience of vending machines is something that we all need in our day to day lives. We want to talk about the most interesting vending mach...

College life is different depending on where in the world your university is located. That being said, college life in Japan comes with its own set of rules, expectations, and trends. While eachdifferent Japanese university has its own a...

The beginning of Spring is for the girls! Hinamatsuri, or Girl's Day, is celebrated every year on March 3rd, which is considered a lucky day, a part of the five season festivals, on the Chinese calendar. 　On this religious holiday, pare...

February 14th is celebrated in countries throughout the world as Valentine’s Day- a day to show love to those special people in your life. Overtime, Valentine’s Day has become more and more commercialized throughout the world. For some, ...

Are you a lucky person? Omamoris might bring you some of the luck that you're missing if not! Omamori are Japanese amulets that are sold in Shinto Shrines that are said to bring you luck and protection. Omamori are dedicated to specific ...

The last thing you want while visiting another country is for one of your companions or yourself to get sick or injured. However, you can’t always predict what will happen, so it is always a good idea to be prepared. Here is how to navig...

Cannabis has been grown and harvested in Japan since the Jomon period of Japan’s prehistory. Cannabis is the flowering plant that is a part of the Cannabaceae family and is made of three different species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indic...

Even in the world, the meanings of numbers change from country to country, and the impressions of numbers in a country often are deeply influenced by the culture of that country. This is also true in Japan.

What would you do if bugs were in your house? To the Japanese, spiders are considered very good things and should never be killed. Here is why spiders should not be killed, and when they should not be killed.

Today, about 14% of Hawaii’s population has Japanese ancestry. This makes this ethnic group the second largest in Hawaii. This is due in part to the 900 Japanese immigrants that arrived in Hawaii on February 8, 1885. These immigrants cam...

When visiting another country, it's best to have a basic understanding of how their government systems function. The Japanese government is a dominant-party bicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a democr...

Saint Patrick's day in Japan is celebrated with a lot of excitement! Despite being far away from Ireland, Japan’s economic ties to Ireland have led to an enthusiasm for Irish culture. In many ways this holiday is a combination of the two...

The Japanese government is a dominant-party bicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This government consists of multiple branches of government and the sharing of power between many different people. These people and positions a...

Every New Year in Japan, thousands of people line up to buy "lucky bags" called "fukubukuro". A lucky bag is a bag filled with everything from clothing to food that the store sells, and the items are secret.

Manga is Japan’s style of comics or graphic novels. This style was developed in the late 19th century in Japan, although elements of it predate artistic elements found in the 12th century. Within Japan, manga refers to comics and cartoon...

There tends to be some confusion between what martial arts are from Japan and which come from China. Yet, there is a fundamental difference between these styles of martial arts, influenced by their respective origin countries.

Every year in Japan, those who turn twenty get to experience a day decided by them! Seijin Shiki, sometimes called adult’s day, is a holiday in Japan where the coming of age into adulthood is celebrated.