Impressions of daily life in Japan
March 3rd was 'Hina Matsuri' or 'Girl's Day'. On this day, all families with a daughter display a set of traditional Japanese dolls in their house. But apparently the habit isn't limited to people with daughters. Ever since early February, I have encountered these 'hina dolls' ('hina' is the japanese word for doll) everywhere I... Continue Reading →
One of my favourite things to do in Japan is playing dress up in kimono. And it's not only for women. Men can also look very dashing in a traditional kimono coat and 'hakama' (formal pants). Quite a change from the guys in yukata that you could see in a previous blog post, don't you... Continue Reading →
At first glance I thought this place was a day care center. The balloons, the bright colours, the cute (kawaii) animal drawings... But a closer look revealed that this place is in fact a real estate agency. It is a clear example of the cultural difference between Japan and Europe. Whereas in Japan this styling... Continue Reading →
Winter in Japan seems to provide me with endless inspiration for this blog. One of the things that keeps amazing me is how lightly some Japanese people dress, despite a freezing cold outside. It is not uncommon to see people walking around without a coat, without gloves or in open shoes without socks while it... Continue Reading →
When walking around in Japan, you never know what you will see next. Like a pimped out turquoise car for example. The car just stood there by the roadside, blasting Japanese hip hop music while the owner was casually making a phone call a little bit further off.
Yesterday it snowed in Toyota City. That's a big deal because in this area of Japan it rarely snows. In addition to that, the amount of snow we had yesterday (about 15 cm) occurs only once every twenty years, according to my Japanese teacher. I was surprised to see that everyone in Japan uses an... Continue Reading →
The Japans 