Tag: Japanese culture

  • Defining Elegance with Yumi Katsura

    Defining Elegance with Yumi Katsura

    Yumi Katsura’s fascination with dresses started at a young age, and sparked a lifelong passion for creating designs that are at the forefront of elegance. Now 93, Katsura reflects on her experiences in the fashion industry, and shares advice on finding the right path to success. I interviewed the iconic wedding dress designer for InTouch…

  • 10 Spots in and Around Tokyo for Plum Blossom Viewing

    10 Spots in and Around Tokyo for Plum Blossom Viewing

    While cherry blossoms often take the spotlight in late spring, plum blossoms are their lesser-known early blooming cousin you should look out for! Here are some great places to go plum-blossom viewing near Tokyo. https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/11244

  • SIZUKU: Music beyond language barriers

    SIZUKU: Music beyond language barriers

    SIZUKU is one of the latest Japanese artists to show us all that music surpasses borders and language barriers. See my interview with her and her producer here: https://metropolisjapan.com/sizuku

  • Isehara: The Most Japanese Experience of Your Life

    Isehara: The Most Japanese Experience of Your Life

    Not far from Tokyo, you’ll find Isehara, an area home to Mt. Oyama and the nature and culture that comes with it. I recently visited this area on a tour that genuinely surprised me with how many cultural activities were packed into it. Take a look at my article about the tour that draws inspiration…

  • Organic and Earth-Friendly Markets in and Around Tokyo

    Organic and Earth-Friendly Markets in and Around Tokyo

    As the interest in sustainable living grows, so does the number of markets in Japan offering fun ways to achieve that lifestyle. Take a break from the faceless chain supermarkets and shops, and say hello to the local producers who come to sell their products face to face.  See my article with Metropolis here: https://metropolisjapan.com/organic-and-earth-friendly-markets-in-and-around-tokyo

  • The Community of Sento in Tokyo with Dina Kartit

    The Community of Sento in Tokyo with Dina Kartit

    Dina Kartit’s work in Japan was somewhat fleeting, but that cannot diminish the strong love of sento she formed while she was here. Sento are shared Japanese bathhouses. More casual than onsen (hot spring baths), Kartit found them a wonderful source of relaxation and exploration. See my interview with the former Timeout Tokyo writer here:…

  • Warming words for this chilly season

    Warming words for this chilly season

    Japanese winters can get pretty damn cold, depending on where you are. But there are tons of ways to warm up, like snuggling under a kotatsu (underheated table). To go with those warming ways are a ton of warming words, too. Take a look at how to express that warmth in Japanese in my Japan…

  • 12 Best Tokyo Food Tours

    12 Best Tokyo Food Tours

    Food tours are a great way to really connect with an area in ways that are just so hard to replicate by yourself. The tour guides have so much knowledge and insider routes that make the food itself a cultural experience. Here are 12 food tours in Tokyo I recommend you try out: https://tokyocheapo.com/food-and-drink/best-tokyo-food-tours/

  • The linguistic influence of tea in Japan is more than ceremonial

    The linguistic influence of tea in Japan is more than ceremonial

    Tea obviously has a huge role in Japanese history and culture, but to what extent does that flow over into the language? Learn some tea-related words with me in this language piece for the Japan Times (behind paywall): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/10/13/language/japanese-vocabulary-tea-ceremony/

  • Bonenkai: Should we forget the year or forget the party?

    Bonenkai: Should we forget the year or forget the party?

    Sometimes, you might get to the end of a year and be glad it’s over. And it seems that whoever coined the term 忘年会 (bōnenkai) shared that sentiment, as the three kanji individually mean 忘 (bō), forget; 年 (nen, toshi), year; and 会 (kai), party or meet-up. See my latest language piece for the Japan…