Tag: Living in 2011
Although Tokushima City has a population of a little over a quarter of a million people, the Awa Odori festival receives over 1 million visitors every year. Awa Odori is held on the same dates ...
Wakamiya-Hachiman-sha 「Wakamiya-Hachiman Shrine, 若宮八幡社」 in south Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture is a small local shrine with a rustic worship hall. Surrounded by a small wooded grove, this shrine is an isle of green in an ...
Close to the summit on Ontake-san 「Mount Ontake, 御嶽山」 is the upper shrine of Ontake-jinja called Ontake-jinja Okusha. Pilgrims dressed in white robes with a conical hat and wooden walking stick trek up the mountain, ...
Attending a Grand Sumo Tournament 「Honbasho, 本場所」 in Japan is an amazing spectacle. The unique sport has ancient origins, and the ceremonies and rituals preceding and following each part of the tournament have many layers ...
While out and about in Japan, even just in my every day life (i.e. not traveling) I always have a camera with me. So one day when I was out for a bike ride in ...
As an English teacher working in Japan, I’m often invited to enkai 「宴会」 work parties. One school I worked at had a particular taste for, very regular, high class izakaya (Japanese bar/restaurant) parties. Each party ...
Winner of a gold medal at the 2009 World Beer Championships, Asahi The Master is a refreshing pilsner in the Japanese market, which is dominated by crisp lagers. Reviews on the internet are mixed, but ...
Small local shrines appear in every neighbourhood in Japan. No matter their size, they always feature the same elements: a main hall, and a torii gate. Akiba Shrine, Eikakushinmachi, Toyota City Akiba Shrine also features a ...
The price of beer in Japan is fairly standard across the country. With the huge battle for market share in convenience stores, prices are just about the same everywhere. Here we look at the price ...
The Kyoto Imperial Palace 「京都御所 Kyōto Gosho」 was home to the Imperial Family for over 1,000 years. The Imperial Household Agency is the caretaker of the Imperial Palace here in Kyoto, and also the current ...
The Oni 「鬼」 statue stands guard in front of a traditional Edo period Japanese shop in the historic Bikan District of Kurashiki. Ogre Demon: Red skin, crazy hair and horns About Kurashiki Kurashiki 「倉敷市」 The ...
Spring means time for sakura 「桜 cherry blossoms」 in Japan. It’s also a season where many festivals take place. A lot of these festivals are centered around the cherry blossom. Sakurai festival in Okazaki These ...
Kyoto looks beautiful in all seasons. In summer, the bright green trees shine to provide great contrast against the cities temples and shrines. Kinkakuji in Summer But there’s a downside to summer in Japan… it’s ...
It’s very rare that the first photo taken of a subject is the best. Sure, you might get lucky, but getting the best shot usually involves working the scene to pull off the vision in ...
The odori 「踊り traditional Japanese dance」 is a very unique dance. Hundreds of dancers moving in unison. Traditional headwear and yukata are worn. Arms flail and hands twist. Legs bounce sharply up and down in precise ...
One of the biggest things that draws me to Japan is how the Japanese embrace their rich history while leading the world in many technological advancements. This is perfectly illustrated by a traditional torii (vermilion ...
Mount Fuji is both the highest mountain and highest volcano in Japan. Mount Ontake stands in second on the highest volcano podium, at 3067m tall. The mountain has a rich religious history – Buddhist shrines, ...
When I first moved to Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture, the first social event I went to was dinner and drinks with fellow ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers). Another teacher who has lived in the area ...
Visited by over 9 million people annually, the 2nd largest shrine in Japan, home of one of the Three Sacred Imperial treasures (the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword), displaying the longest samurai sword in the world, in the heart ...
Cherry blossoms in spring see many local festivals in Japan. This article is about the festival in Okazaki, famous for sakura viewing and the samurai battle reenactment.
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