“If Toyota catches a cold, Nagoya does.” This local saying expresses just how much influence Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture’s second largest city with around 420,000 residents, has on the prefectural capital’s financial health and well-being, and indeed on the entire country’s. So, what makes Toyota so vital to regional and national economic success? Well, it’s […]
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How to Read a Japanese Calendar
Understanding how to read a Japanese calendar is an important part of life in Japan. While it may seem intimidating at first when you see a combination of letters and numbers, luckily the Japanese date system is extremely easy to master once you understand a few basic concepts. First of all, we need to understand […]
Ao no Dokutsu: Blue Cave Shibuya Illumination 2018
The Shibuya Ao no Dokutsu, meaning the ‘Shibuya Blue Cave,’ is the closest and most spectacular winter illuminations near Shibuya Station. The event started in Nakameguro along the banks of the Meguro River in 2014, and was moved to Shibuya in 2016. Due to popular demand, it’s now in its third year in Shibuya, and […]
15 Top Places to see Christmas lights in Tokyo 2018-19
Are you looking for places to see Christmas lights in Tokyo? Well, you’re in luck because the Japanese are all on board with it, and the displays are increasing in number and wow factor every year. Here are 15 places to see Christmas lights in Tokyo in 2018! Where to see Christmas lights in Roppongi […]
5 of the best German Christmas markets in Tokyo in 2018
The Japanese seem to be taking Christmas to a whole new level every year. Of course, being a non-traditional holiday, adopting celebratory practices from other cultures is somewhat of a given. One of the most trending adoptions of the past couple of years is German Christmas markets, where the Japanese trade grilled fish for bratwurst […]
Tokyo Christmas Market 2018: Tokyo’s Answer to a European Christmas
If you’re looking for a European Christmas market in Tokyo to put you in the mood for the holidays, then the Tokyo Christmas Market in Hibiya has got you sorted. Given that Japanese celebrations of Western holidays usually come with a distinct Japanese twist, I was surprised at just how authentic the Hibiya Christmas market […]
7 Interesting Things to do in Matsuyama, Japan (plus combining your trip with Tokyo)
Matsuyama, Japan is a destination full of connections. Located in Ehime prefecture in Shikoku, it’s a place where striking up a conversation with a stranger at the train station is commonplace, and someone tapping you on the shoulder and offering you a mikan (mandarin), the prefecture’s renowned fruit, as a currency of kindness, is just […]
Shichi-go-san: Japan’s celebration of kids aged 7 5 3
Shichi-go-san (七五三) is a Japanese festival held annually in November. Shichi-go-san literally means ‘7 5 3′ and celebrates the health and longevity of girls aged 3 and 7, and boys aged 5. It’s an important rite of passage for young children and is an occasion for the whole family to get dressed up, go the […]
Halloween in Japan is unlike anywhere else (where to celebrate in Tokyo)
If you’ve seen recent photos of Halloween in Japan, you might be surprised to learn that Halloween has really only become “a thing” here over the past several years. When we moved to Japan going on a decade ago, there weren’t the huge street parties or number of parades there are now. Halloween was more […]