Except for the uninitiated, most everyone in Japan will know that daruma is normally a papier maché good luck doll, often about the size of...
(UPDATED after the ceremony) The enthronement ceremony for Emperor Naruhito, called Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi, took place on Tuesday afternoon, October 22, and was witnessed in person by...
I still remember the taste of hard-to-swallow fried whale meat served in Japanese school lunches. I have no nostalgia for it, but when I come...
Source: wagashi_sanchan The seasonal changes are often celebrated in Japanese art, and the art of confectionery is no different. Every year we are treated to a...
Despite the sweltering heat, there are pleasant surprises to be found in Japan during the summer season. Ice pops and watermelon. Fireworks and fireflies. And...
Nothing says summer more than the coming of one of the most hated insects of all time: the mosquito. But with the mosquito also comes...
Three hundred kilometers west of Tokyo, in the heart of Japan’s Niigata Prefecture, lies Shirone. It is a modest city with a yearly festival that...
The sound of pheasants chirping and frogs croaking filled the air. The rice paddies reflected the blue sky, and the ridges between them...
CAPTION: Kunito Horii is surrounded by karihari (temporary pasting) mounds used to dry Hanging Scrolls, which are being restored at the Usami Shokakudo Cultural Heritage Restoration...
With deeply established traditions in dance, theater and music, Japanese entertainment offers almost too much to keep track of. But what happens...
Leading up to the abdication of Emperor Akihito on April 30, JAPAN Forward looks back on the pivotal aspects of the Heisei Emperor’s rule. There...
Jotaro Saito doesn’t go unnoticed when walking down a street. The day I met him at Kanda Myojin, he was sporting a flashy patterned...