Every year in Japan on the 5th of May, Children’s Day (子供の日) is celebrated. The aim is to celebrate boys, girls, mothers, and fathers. It wasn’t always gender neutral, though. Originally called tango no sekku (Boy’s Day) and referred to as the feast of banners, traditionally it only celebrated boys and their fathers. Girls also have […]

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Have you ever experienced a Japanese tea ceremony? The performance of Chanoya, Chado or Sado, or the way of tea,  is considered an important cultural artform in Japan. There’s no dunking your cookie in your cuppa here! There are teahouses specialising in tea ceremony, in various forms all over Japan. The most formal can last […]

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October is a great month for festivals in Japan, both for traditional ones such as the Kenka Matsuri (fighting festival) in Himeji, the Jidai Matsuri in Kyoto, and of course all the Halloween celebrations which get bigger and bigger every year. Kyoto is not only famous for its festivals though, the food is also renowned! […]

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