What is Hanfuda? Before the Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh trading card games, Hanafuda was the original card game obsession in Japan! Hanafuda (花札, literally “flower cards”) are Japanese playing cards with a long history in Japanese culture. A Hanafuda card deck…
What is fukubukuro? Every year hundreds of brave shoppers flock to Japan’s shopping districts in order to participate in “hatsu uri” (初売り), or the first sales of the new year. You can expect great bargains during this time, but Japan…
Over the past few years, Shibuya has become the hub of Halloween celebrations in Tokyo. Over one million (yes, one million!) people visit Shibuya over the Halloween weekend parading their costumes well into the night. FROM JAPAN was also part…
There is a world of Japanese paper craft ready to be discovered! From DIY miniatures, to mechanical toys and shadowboxes, these models require only patience and a handful of inexpensive crafting tools. Best of all, there are so many unique kits to choose from that there’s something ideal for every paper craft enthusiast. Narrowing down which kit to begin with might be tricky, so here’s a list of 10 popular Japanese paper craft series to help get you started.
If you’ve ever watched a school-themed anime or seen pictures of Japanese students heading to class, chances are you’ve spotted a randoseru—the boxy backpack that’s light enough for five-year-olds and durable enough to last all the way through primary school.…
What’s the secret to a perfect cup of green tea? Perhaps the answer boils down to the teapot itself. Over the centuries, Japanese craftsmen have altered the shapes, materials, sizes, and filters of teapots, refining the tea-drinking experience by creating…