Foreign festivals in Japan There are reportedly over 200,000 festivals held in Japan each year. The peak seasons for these are usually in the summer months, and during the autumn harvest season. Many of the festivals have religious or spiritual roots and are often associated with local shrines. Which is why it is not surprising that Japanese people love their festivals and often go out to celeb...

Ancient Japanese constellations The Japanese were a sea-faring and farming race from times of old. They used the stars to navigate the seas and understand the seasons better. There are old Japanese names for the constellations although they are less known and less used now as the more universal Western names are used more. In this blog by Japonin(JOI) professional teacher Mizuno sensei, she exp...

Kyoto tourism Kyoto was once the capital city of Japan. It is a beautiful and historical city filled with splendid temples and interesting shrines. It was one of the top tourist destinations in the world this year and is growing in popularity. Here in this Japanese language blog, Kamiyama sensei introduces one of the top sight-seeing spots in Kyoto. Read this and listen to natural Japanese too....

Insects in Japan There are many insects and bugs that are indigenous to the Japan isles. Fortunately, not many are dangerous or poisonous – but it is worth finding out which ones are before venturing out into the mountains in Japan. The centipedes and wasps are generally the most harmful, although the media over here has been up in arms over an increase in blood-sucking worms recently... Ishiba...

Japanese exercise classes There are a large number of gyms and exercise classes in Japan. You can find many classes in the public civic centers for very reasonable prices which often include aerobics classes and yoga lessons. And there are a number of private gyms that provide in vogue classes like Pilates and Speed Yoga. Here in this blog for Japanese language learners, Yanaka sensei introduces...