Sakura 🌸
Indoors in Spring: Virtual Hanami in the Time of COVID-19
Each year, the sight of cherry blossoms in riotous profusion signals the arrival of spring in Japan. Normally, [&hel
Coronavirus
Nara’s Famous Deer Wander Streets, Station In Search Of Food After Coronavirus Tourism Drop
Nara, Japan boasts the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue and the UNESCO World Heritage Site it is enshrined at, [&h
Culture
[Soul of Japan] Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the Kami Who Established A Nation
Many of Japan’s traditions and ideas are unfamiliar to those outside of Japan. Therefore, JAPAN Forward and Jinja Honcho
Special Reports
Nara Shrine Where First Emperor was Enthroned Opens Rare Exhibit
Kashihara Jingu in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture — a shrine dedicated to the first emperor of Japan, Emperor [&hel
Culture
[Hidden Wonders of Japan] Todaiji Buddha Gets A Cleaning Before Obon Festivities
The World Heritage site Todaiji Temple in Nara was home to a curious sight on August 7: the cleaning […]
Special Reports
INTERVIEW | ‘Manyoshu’ Expert Susumu Nakanishi Talks on Reiwa’s Beautiful Spirit
Reiwa, the era name or gengo for the reign of Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito, was taken from Japan’s oldest […]
Culture
[Hidden Wonders] Get Showered by Sparks of Fire at Omizutori in Nara!
It’s the time of year when one of the oldest and most evocative Buddhist rituals takes place in Nara. […]
Culture
WATCH: ‘Nightscapes’: The Most Impressive Part of the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park Museum
Video 1 | WATCH: Trains Bring You to Japan’s Famous Sites — at the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park Museum […]
Blog
[Hidden Wonders of Japan] In This Tea Ceremony, A 5-kg Bowl Is Passed Around
Tea ceremony still manages to have an inexplicable allure for both foreigners and Japanese. This is perhaps because it
Travel
2019 Cherry Blossoms Forecast: From Kyushu to Hokkaido
Despite the blistering cold at this time of year in Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological News Agency has released [&helli
Culture
How Japanese Sake Got a Modern Makeover
“Sake Kasu Fizz.” “Hojicha Infused Whiskey.” What sounds like a bizarre mish-mash of different tastes is, in [&he
Special Reports
Top 25 JAPAN Forward Articles of 2018: 10-6
Happy New Year from JAPAN Forward! One week into 2019, we are sharing with you in a series the 25 […]