Eating eels as food. In Japan freshwater eels or unagi and marine eels or anago are commonly used in Washoku or Japanese cuisine. It is a popular dish all over east Asia, and are also very popular in Chinese cuisine, in Hong Kong and in Korean cuisine. It is often names as a source of stamina and minerals and vitamins. In this blog for learning Japanese, Japanese teacher Yuki Kamiyama explores t...

Wearing masks in Japan Japan has long been associated with mask-wearing and it was not strange to see people wearing masks before the pandemic. One reason is due to allergies and the pollen season. Allergy sufferers found comfort in wearing masks to reduce the symptoms. Masks also became fashionable. Many celebrities were caught by paparazzi trying to cover their faces with masks and wearing sun...

Disasters in Japan Japan is one of the worst-hit countries for disasters in the world. There are earthquakes and typhoons regularly, and during the rainy season torrential rain and flooding. What should we do to avoid the disasters in Japan and where should we evacuate to in the event of a disaster in our areas? This is one of the themes tackled here in this week's blog by Japanese teacher Izum...

Wild Birds in Japan There are about 700 bird species in Japan.17 species are endemic to Japan meaning that they can only be found in Japan. There are also many migratory species and some species that were introduced to the country by man. In recent history, though many species have disappeared due to human activity, including hunting and environmental degradation. But there are concerted efforts...

Yoga in Japan Yoga in Japan is a huge multi-billion dollar industry with a primary market aimed towards ladies in their 30s and 40s.There are many franchise stores, and individual studios all over the cities – many in prime locations to catch business people coming home from work. In this blog by Japanese teacher Midori Miyake, she looks at the benefits of this pose and teaches some useful vocab...