Every year in June, along with the rainy season, pretty clusters of colorful hydrangea flowers bloom across Japan. The beautiful flowers are called ajisai (あじさい、紫陽花) in Japanese. Some places are even famous for the incredible number and variety of hydrangea flowers. Here are 10 popular hydrangea-viewing spots in Japan!
10 Best Rose Gardens in Japan
Do you like rose? Rose in Japanese is バラ 薔薇 bara 🌹If you plan to visit Japan during rose season (May-June or Oct-Nov), please check the below rose viewing spots in Japan in advance! The Language of Flower: Rose〜バラの花言葉 bara no hanakotoba The language of the rose flower is “Love” and “Beauty”.Especially…The red rose is affection, beauty, passion and passionate … Read More
How To Speak Casual Japanese ~7 slang expressions
When you speak casual English to friends, you don’t use perfect grammar and full sentences like you would when writing a paper, correct? Japanese is the same way. When speaking conversational Japanese, people rarely use the exact words and long phrases that you’d find in a textbook. Here is a 5-minute mini lesson to help you speak Casual Japanese.
10 Fun Things to Do in Japan in May
May in Japan is packed with a number of festivals – this is in part due to the Golden Week holiday period that happens every year for several days in early May. Then, the rest of the month is filled with good weather, sunshine, flowers, and lots of food and festivities! Here are 10 fun things to do in Japan … Read More
Japan’s Top 10 Wisteria-Viewing Spots
The end of cherry blossom season is certainly not the end of flower festivals in Japan! Every year, following the cherry blossoms, lush purple wisteria flowers arrive in Japan, blooming from April to May. The beautiful purple flowers are called fuji (ふじ, 藤) in Japanese. Here are the Top 10 wisteria-viewing spots in Japan!
3 Reasons Why You Should Have Geta
Do you know Geta? Before the Edo period (1603-1868), Japanese people wore traditional wooden clogs known as Geta or Zōri with their yukata or kimono. They are similar to the modern slippers we are familiar with today, except that their structure is slightly different and they are made from different materials.
What are the Different Japanese Household Shrines and Altars?
If you’ve ever been to Japan, then you may have marveled at its numerous shrines and national temples like the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo, and the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in Kyoto. The Japanese give utmost importance and respect to these shrines for they are considered places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, or the Shinto “gods”. … Read More
From Tradition to Today: Japanese School Uniforms
When you were a student growing up, did your school have uniforms? Most schools in Japan do! Japanese school uniforms, called seifuku (制服), were introduced to Japanese private and public schools in the late 19th century. The uniform traditionally consists of a military-styled uniform for boys and a sailor outfit for girls, but Western-styled Catholic-school uniforms are also very common. In … Read More
All About Japanese MONEY
Everything you need to know about Japanese bills, coins, currency exchange, and money etiquette!
The Most Popular Japanese GESTURES!
Have you ever been to Japan? You may have noticed that several of the common gestures used by Japanese people are actually quite different from the ones used in your home country. Here is a picture guide of the most commonly used gestures in Japan, along with their meanings!