Spring has sprung in Japan, meaning it’s that time of year again: cherry blossom season! Cherry blossom, or sakura (桜), typically bloom for about one week between late March to early April, starting in the Okinawan islands and finishing in…
What is Hinamatsuri? The weather is warming up in Japan, which mean the spring festival is just around the corner - Hinamatsuri! Hinamatsuri (ひなまつり), also known as Dolls Festival, is one of the five seasonal ”sekku” festivals celebrated throughout the…
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’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…
Few pastimes sharpen the mind like a good puzzle, and few countries craft puzzles like Japan. Over the centuries, Japan has mastered the art of piecing together entertaining puzzles in deceptively simple designs. Whether you desire to hone your problem-solving…
Happy New Year! 2018 is the Year of the Dog, to the joy of puppy fans all over the world. In these early January days, dog-themed decorations both traditional and modern cover every storefront in Japan, not to mention countless…