Children’s Day (Kodomo no hi) is one of the Japanese National Holidays that occurs in Golden week. It takes place on the 5th day of the 5th Month… Or May 5th… The day was originally boy’s day but has become over time children’s days. In 1948, the government decreed this day to be a national holiday… Read More Children’s Day
Visitors here are often surprised about what there is to do here in Otawara.. Its not so well known as many other regions in Japan and maybe you need a car to see many of the hidden gems.. I’ve been here 2 1/2 years and I’m still finding interesting and fun things in the… Read More 24 hours in Otawara, Tochigi Prefecture
April in Otawara means the Yatai festival or Yatai Matsuri.. Yatai Matsuri in Otawara is a loud, fun, musical(ish) 2 day event based around the Kanodoro in downtown Otawara… It is a local festival involving wooden floats called Yatai, which are traditionally small, mobile food stalls in Japan typically selling ramen or other food. The name… Read More Yatai Matsuri April 2014
Today I went for a bike ride to Nogi shrine, and unexpectedly got into a “Japanese” conversation with a lovely lady who lived near by. The result of which was an introduction to Katakuri.. Which is a beautiful; woodland flower that grows wild in the forest here… What I understood, was you can eat it,… Read More Katakuri –
Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo, and with a population of 3.7 million is the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is on Tokyo Bay, a little south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu.It is… Read More Yokohama
Not really a post, more a collection of photos.. In Japan you can find sets of locally different just about anything.. Mascots, foods, drinks, sweets, Street lights, manhole covers, Kit Kats (In Japan, there have been over 200 different flavours since 2000 including Vanilla bean, Halloween Pumkin, Strawberry, ginger ale, soy sauce, creme brulee, green tea, and WASABI!! –… Read More Road Barriers Japanese style
Just Life in Japan 