Impressions of daily life in Japan
Japanese people are a lot more aware of the seasons than Belgian people are. While the first signs of spring are met with joy everywhere, Japanese culture takes it to another level by singling out a great number of tell-tale sings of spring that people can look for and rejoice about. Famous examples are the... Continue Reading →
Around the middle of April it was cherry blossom time in Japan. Needless to say I had been looking forward to this for a while. When foreigners think of Japan and typical Japanese things, the beauty of the cherry blossoms is one of the first things that comes to mind. My anticipation was only increased... Continue Reading →
Apparently rabbits are the latest it-animal when it comes to pets. I can easily believe that because yesterday - yet again - I came upon a rabbit on a leash. It was being walked in the park underneath the cherry trees as if it were a dog. Whereas most rabbits appear either completely blank and... Continue Reading →
Ever since a week or two, we have had the first hints of spring in the air. The weather is definitely changing, with alternating days of rain and sun; as opposed to winter where almost every day is sunny. The temperature has been notably higher too, although this week there has been a plunge in... 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 →
The Japans 