Regional festivals and dances in Japan There are many dances and festivals all over Japan, especially during the summer season. Each local area has famous dances, for example, there is the famous Awa Odori in Tokushima prefecture in Shikoku among many others. Kitano sensei, one of the professional Japanese teachers at Japonin(JOI), lives in Sweden, but she was raised in Hokkaido in Japan. In her...

Japanese seasonal fashion In November in Japan, the weather becomes colder, and Japanese people start to change their wardrobes from the autumn and late summer wear to their winter wear. Japanese seasonal fashion is an essential part of the nation's culture. And this blog from Yatabe sensei gives a personal and amusing view of the tough choices some of us have to make. You can read this blog, a...

Okinawan cuisine and culture There are differences between the cultures and food eaten around different parts of Japan. Okinawa, the southern­most island chain of Japan, has a distinct tropical climate and as result different cuisine. One of these is the Hechima sponge cucumber, and Inamoto sensei, who has experience in traveling to various countries, and a lot of experience in teaching Japanese...

How to improve your lifestyle Human biorhythms can be adapted to suit your lifestyle. And following the natural flow of the day and sunlight is a great way to improve mental and sometimes physical health too. This means, going to bed early and getting up early too. The Japanese latest fad of “Asa Katsu” is based on this idea. And goes one further; try to make the most of those first few hours of...

Bullet train (or Shinkansen) rail system in Japan The Bullet Train or Shinkansen is the high-speed railway system that connects all corners of Japan. Well, almost all corners ! Some parts of Japan do not have Shinkansen lines connecting them to the other parts of the country. Itaya sensei, one of Japonin(JOI)'s professional Japanese teachers, lives in Hokkaido, which is one area of Japan that do...