Impressions of daily life in Japan
After living in Japan for a while, you kind of get used to all the things that used to excite you so much at first. But every once in a while, you get what I like to call the 'hello-you're-in-japan-face-slap'. Today I will tell you about one of those faceslap moments that stand out in... Continue Reading →
Ask anyone to name something typical of Japan, and it is highly likely that they will say 'sushi'. After my return to Belgium, I have often been asked if Japanese people really eat sushi every day. The answer is no! Japanese cuisine is incredibly varied and there is so much more to it than just... Continue Reading →
I adore Japanese manhole covers. They are just so beautiful! Here's the one for Toyota City: It features the symbol of Aichi prefecture in the middle, surrounded by sun flowers. Toyota City has adopted the sunflower as its symbol flower. Likewise, the manhole cover for Takayama features rhododendron flowers, which are symbolic for the city... Continue Reading →
Today is Obon, an important Japanese holiday. Traditionally it is a day for honouring the spirits of one's ancestors. But since the Japanese never pass up an opportunity to have a party, it is also an excellent reason to organise a festival and get together with friends and family. Apart from delicious festival food and... Continue Reading →
I love learning about foreign cultures. It fascinates me to see all the different ways people from all over the world come up with to do the same thing. That is why I am usually more interested in the little differences, rather than the more obvious, big differences. I think Vincent Vega, in the movie... Continue Reading →
When visiting a temple in Japan, you will often see large strings of colored paper shapes, hung up in various places. Closer inspection reveals that these paper shapes are actually cranes. One thousand of them to be exact. The origami cranes are often arranged by color, fitted one close on top of the other and... Continue Reading →
The Japans 