Hasedera Temple Japan has thousands of temples to visit, and some have ancient historical significance. Although the city of Kyoto is often seen as the must-visit city for temple sightseeing, there are many temples dotted around the country that are worth making a detour for. One such temple is the one introduced here by Japanese teacher Izumi Yanaka. It is a temple that can be visited any time ...

A resurgence of home games During the pandemic and with people staying at home, there has been a demand for activities that people can do in the comfort and safety of their homes. Board games, computer games, and tricks have become popular all over the world. Among these is the Kendama ball game. In this blog by a Japanese teacher, Ikko sensei goes into the topic of the Kendama. It is an addicti...

Ikebana Japanese flower arrangement Ikebana is a Japanese form of flower arranging that was started in the 15th Century by a monk named Senkei Ikenobo. It is a highly stylized form of art and can take years to master. It is one of the most celebrated art forms in Japan. It can express the changes of seasons and also the changes that can be seen as flowers age. In this blog for Japanese learners...

Stay at home exercises During this pandemic, with all the stay at home realities of the time, there has been an increase in home exercise methods for people of all ages. How to keep fit or stay in shape with all these changes to our usual routines have been a subject of constant discussion. And here in this blog for Japanese learners, Japanese teacher Midori Miyake chooses one of these home exer...

Japanese food for all occasions Japanese people like to celebrate different occasions with special food. Washoku is a cuisine that often combines decorative elements of the ingredients to celebrate a specific meaning or event. There are unique dishes to celebrate the New Year, Girl's Day and a host of other holidays or special days in the calendar. In this blog for Japanese language learners, J...