Foreign country theme parks There are many theme parks in Japan. Some that focus on fun and family outings, some that feature thrilling rides and others that dabble in historical depictions of bygone eras. Although in recent times many have closed due to the recession, there are some that have survived and even thrived. In this blog by Japanese teacher Kamiyama sensei introduces one of the most...

Japanese autumn festivals Although the bulk of the numerous festivals in Japan are held during the spring and summer months, there are some festivals also held autumn. These vary from prefecture to prefecture, but many do have things in common including the colorful floats and the connections to local shrines. In this Japanese language blog by a teacher from Kyushu, you'll find a first-hand exp...

Japanese bento Japanese business people and school children often take lunch boxes with them to school or the office. These lunch boxes are called Obento or simply bento. They usually consist of a portion of rice and some meat dish and vegetables. They are often rather beautifully made and there is an art to making good Obento here in Japan. One of the easiest ways to make your lunch box a litt...

Bassia scoparia in Japan Bassia scoparia is a large annual herb native to Eurasia. In Japan it has many uses both traditionally in cuisine and in the home as well decoratively. The change of colors of this plant is one reason why it is being introduced here in autumn. Yanaka sensei introduces this versatike plant in this week's Japanese teacher's blog. Please read the Japanese, learn vocabulary ...

Holidays and observances in Japan Japan is a country that has a surprising number national public holidays as well as days of observance. The difference between the two is that on days of observance people do not get time off work but they usually celebrate the days with either cultural ceremonies and decorations, or small festivals. Many of the observance days have roots in the ancient culture ...