There are only a few weeks out of the year when people all over Japan get out and enjoy what is called hanami (花見), or...
On March 23, the Rias Line in Iwate Prefecture resumed normal operations for the first time since 2011. Located in Tohoku, the northeastern region...
As Japan prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, there has been much attention to how the country will handle the influx...
Reiwa, the name of Japan’s new imperial era, is the first to be chosen from a traditional work of Japanese poetry. The era name...
I have recently become the proud owner of a Japanese driver’s license! Getting this document was incredibly complicated and riddled with tons of unexpected elements throughout....
It is often said that the strongest of friendships are forged during the hardest of times. Sometimes strength can come from tragedy, as it did...
In Ichihara Elephant Country Park (Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture), Yumeka — the 11-year-old female Asian Elephant — stands in front of a white canvas....
YakiJapan is known for its festivals — from the snow and ice sculptures in Hokkaido to colorful Nebuta floats in Tohoku. One that is less...
The pub — short for “public house” — has long been established as part of daily life in Britain. Not only a place to...
As celebrations for Girl’s Day on March 3 drew to a close, you might be guessing that a celebration for male children wouldn’t be far...
The other day I was waiting for the train and looked down the line to notice the sun setting — and the light was just...
Progress was slow, but no one seemed to mind. This was a festival, and people were in a good mood. As the purple-robed Shinto...
