Japanese school trips Japanese school trips are a big part of the educational life in Japan. Often a whole year of students travel with a handful of teachers to either some famous tourist destinations or to some theme parks or go abroad. It is one of the most memorable parts of school life. In this blog by a Japanese language teacher, Izumi Yanaka finds a nostalgic essay about that time. This en...

New Year's in Japan New Year's season in Japan is a quiet and family-oriented celebration. Most people, especially families, spend the period at home and sometimes go out to experience some of the cultural activities like visiting shrines. Modern New Year celebrations, especially for the younger generations can include countdown parties, but these are not the general norm. Why is New Year's so i...

Confucianism in Japan Confucianism stands beside Buddhism as one of the religious, sociological, and philosophical teachings that spread across Asia to Japan. Whereas Buddhism had its roots in India, Confucianism was born in China. In Japan, it was introduced as a fundamental component to the education system and became a staple in schools during the Edo period. In this blog by Japanese teacher...

Japan's historic castle towns Japan is a land with a fascinating history. One of the most interesting segments of history is the eras in which castles were constructed. Many of these remain in part or have been reconstructed and many historic castle towns are extremely well preserved.  In this blog for Japanese learners, Japanese teacher Hiroshi Yamamoto used to live in one of these towns. ...

Reborn vegetables There have been many fads and crazes during the lockdown periods around the world. One of these has definitely gardening at home and making your own vegetables. And also regrowing vegetables from scraps as well. In Japan especially, this has been a small fad. In this blog for Japanese learners, Japanese teacher Midori Miyake explains how she went about regrowing vegetables from...