Impressions of daily life in Japan
When walking around in Kyoto, foreign tourists will often be very excited when they spot 'a real-life Japanese geisha'! Indeed when walking around the area near Kiyomizu-dera temple, one often sees groups of young girls dressed in bright kimonos. What most tourists probably don't know is that these girls are not geisha, but dressed-up tourists... 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 →
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 →
When people think of Japanese toilets - as I'm sure many of us often do - they think of the high-technology toilet with all the buttons, that looks more like a space-ship than an actual toilet. Standard functions include two sprays of water (one for boys and one for girls), a blow dryer and preheated... Continue Reading →
The Japans 