Impressions of daily life in Japan
Green tea is one of the basic elements of life in Japan. I think it is safe to say that most Japanese people drink green tea every day, in one form or another. One of the most famous kinds of Japanese green tea is sencha. It is a fairly good quality of tea leaves, served... Continue Reading →
The other day I was watching the Japanese movie 'Okuribito' (usually titled 'Departures' abroad). I absolutely love that movie and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. The movie is about a man who moves back from Tokyo to his hometown in the mountains. He gets involved in the funeral business, a profession that was despised... Continue Reading →
The school year in Japan starts in April, rather than in September as it does in Europe. Most kids have one or two weeks of holiday before the start of the new school year. All through the month of March, children and parents are busy with graduation ceremonies. There are lots of ceremonies to be... Continue Reading →
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 →
It was quite exciting to spend New Year in Japan. I was very curious about Japanese New Year rituals and we tried participating in as many as possible. Our Japanese New Year experience began on New Year's Eve with a popular TV show called 'Kōhaku Uta Gassen' (on the channel NHK). It features spectacular performances... Continue Reading →
Christmas is not a traditional Japanese holiday. Only about 1% of the Japanese population is Christian. New Year is a lot more important in Japan and is celebrated with many traditional Japanese rituals. But Japanese people never turn down an oportunity to have a festivity or festival, so just like Halloween and Valentine's day, Christmas... Continue Reading →
The Japans 