New types of tourism in Japan This has been a difficult time for the tourism economy of many countries. And as the world slowly recovers, there may be some changes in the types of tourism that are popular. Going to crowded spots with the generic sites of temples and historical buildings may become less popular. And ways of connecting our 'at home' enjoyment with our outdoor activities may become...

Manners during the pandemic Mask wearing has been the most prevalent new form of etiquette during the pandemic, but there have been other types of new manners too. From conducting interviews and having meetings, there are many normal activities that have had to be altered to accommodate 'the new normal'. Here in Japan, one such activity is eating. Typically in Japan, the emerging manner has...

Japan has thousands of temples to visit, and some have ancient historical significance. Although the city of Kyoto is often seen as the must-visit city for temple sightseeing, there are many temples dotted around the country that are worth making a detour for. One such temple is the one introduced here by Japanese teacher Izumi Yanaka. It is a temple that can be visited any time...

A resurgence of home games During the pandemic and with people staying at home, there has been a demand for activities that people can do in the comfort and safety of their homes. Board games, computer games, and tricks have become popular all over the world. Among these is the Kendama ball game. In this blog by a Japanese teacher, Ikko sensei goes into the topic of the Kendama. It is an...

Ikebana Japanese flower arrangement Ikebana is a Japanese form of flower arranging that was started in the 15th Century by a monk named Senkei Ikenobo. It is a highly stylized form of art and can take years to master. It is one of the most celebrated art forms in Japan. It can express the changes of seasons and also the changes that can be seen as flowers age. In this blog for Japanese learners...

Stay at home exercises During this pandemic, with all the stay at home realities of the time, there has been an increase in home exercise methods for people of all ages. How to keep fit or stay in shape with all these changes to our usual routines have been a subject of constant discussion. And here in this blog for Japanese learners, Japanese teacher Midori Miyake chooses one of these home...

Japanese food for all occasions Japanese people like to celebrate different occasions with special food. Washoku is a cuisine that often combines decorative elements of the ingredients to celebrate a specific meaning or event. There are unique dishes to celebrate the New Year, Girl's Day and a host of other holidays or special days in the calendar. In this blog for Japanese language learners,...

Working from home around the world As working from home has increased and online communication has become a norm, one issue that is recently receiving media attention is the health effects of sitting too long. There are a few countries that have data on this and Japan is one of them. In this blog by a Japanese teacher for learners of the language, Yukiko Takane has found some data on this...

Summer in Japan The Japanese summer is a hot and humid affair. Temperatures in the southern areas and mainland of the nation have regularly climbed to almost 40℃ in recent years with records being rewritten every year in various localities. In this blog for Japanese learners, Igarashi sensei, a Japanese language teacher at Japonin(JOI), introduces some useful Japanese summer vocabulary. Please...

Chinese medicine in Japan Chinese medicine is known as Kanpo in Japan. It is based on herbal medicine that has a long and traditional history and was brought to Japan from China around the 5th century. It is often viewed as alternative medicine by most people in modern Japan, but you can also use the national health insurance to receive herbal remedies, so it is officially acknowledged as a...