Top 10 Events in JAPAN: November 2018

The month of November is a beautiful time of transition in Japan. The leaves change colors for several weeks all across the nation, and the festivals begin to shift from the harvest-centered events of October to the colorful celebrations of autumn leaves and LED illuminations. From gorgeous maple festivals, to entire theme parks lit by millions of LED lightbulbs, here … Read More

How To Speak Casual Japanese

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.

Pictograms in Japan: Toilets, Tourism, and More!

Have you ever seen a Japanese toilet? With the newer toilets, there are so many buttons and symbols that it can be quite confusing for anyone who doesn’t speak Japanese. Not to mention the fact that depending on where you are in Japan, the pictures on the buttons are completely different! Because the 2020 Olympics are being held in Tokyo, … Read More

What Happens During a Japanese Wedding Ceremony

What Happens During a Japanese Wedding Ceremony Have you ever been to a wedding in Japan? Do you imagine a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony to date back thousands of years? You may be surprised to learn that Shinto weddings, known in Japanese as shinzen kekkon (神前結婚), “Marriage before the gods”, did not actually begin in Japan until the early 20th century. … Read More

10 Incredible Things to Do in Japan This September

When you think of September in Japan, what do you think of? Hot weather? The start of fall? I bet you don’t think of a nationwide sumo wrestling tournament, or a massive EDM music festival that features A-list DJs like The Chainsmokers and Steve Aoki. But these events are happening in September, among several others! You can’t miss these 10 … Read More

Catch Your Own Fish At This Restaurant in Japan

Seafood doesn’t get any more fresh than this! At this uniquely interactive restaurant in Shinsekai, Osaka, you can use a rod to choose a type of fish, catch it, then have it cooked for you to eat! Here was our experience.

Kuromon Ichiba – “Osaka’s Kitchen”

Kuromon Ichiba street market is a long stretch of locally owned shops and food stands that runs through the center of Osaka. Especially famous for great meat and seafood, this street market is a Japanese food lover’s heaven!

The Most Popular Ohanami Foods

The 2-week-long period in which the cherry blossoms are in bloom is a magical time in Japan. People of all ages gather with their friends, family, and loved ones to do “ohanami” (お花見) which typically means having a picnic beneath the beautiful sakura (さくら) trees. Here is a list of the most common foods and snacks that people can enjoy … Read More