Vegetables in Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine or washoku places a great emphasis on vegetables.Although in this day and age, you can grow vegetables in greenhouses and supply different kinds of vegetables all year round, the principle of seasonal vegetables is still preserved in washoku. During spring, there are many vegetables in season and the majority of these are mountain vegetables. Ishi...

The Japanese school year The academic year at Japanese schools normally begins in April and ends the following March, and not in September like in the United States and other countries. This means that Spring season is the start of school, and not Autumn. However, many universities in Japan have started allowing for Autumn enrollment as well as Spring enrollment to increase their competitiveness...

Fruits in Japan Japanese fruits are famous for being expensive, but not all the fruits are. If you go to the supermarkets, there are reasonably priced fruits on sale, but it is true that there is a market for high-end fruits too. There are many fruits that are native to Japan, like the Japanese pear (or Nashi) and Japanese persimmon (or Kaki). But there are also fruits that were introduced to Ja...

Japanese proverbs There are many proverbs (or Kotowaza or Kanyoku) in the Japanese language. Some are based on 4 character Kanji, and some are idiomatic phrases. They are an interesting area of Japanese vocabulary and grammar learning. Many Japanese manga and literature make use of these phrases and there is a certain art to quoting pertinent proverbs to illustrate a point in a conversation. If ...

Roadside rest areas in Japan There are many rest areas or service stations along the highways in Japan. They are also known as Michi no Eki in Japanese. They provide places for drivers and passengers to take rest, and also promote local goods and tourism. There is a growing competition among the rest areas to provide more unique services and goods, on top of the souvenirs and local cuisine and c...