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...

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...

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...

Japanese office workers and friends often have drinking parties at Izakaya or Japanese pubs. These are a great way to get to know people in Japan in an informal setting, and also enjoy some Japanese cuisine. But even though these are informal gatherings, there are some rules of etiquette that should be followed and these can trip up a first-timer , whether they are...

Mystery in Japan Japan is often seen as a mysterious country with opaque history and interesting cultures shrouded in secrecy. But in this Japanese language blog by Japonin(JOI) Japanese teacher Rie Imoto, there is another mystery found in Japan. Is it a UFO or could it be a meteor ? The answer is unexpected. Read this blog to learn some Japanese for free and listen to the video, read by Imoto...

The Bon Festival Througout Buddhist Asia, there are many similar festivals held and the one called the Bon Festival in Japan is a popular one in many countries. The origins are from one of the disciples of Buddha who wanted to help his mother in the afterworld. So the modern version is usually associated with family and the ancestors. In this Japanese language blog by Momoki sensei, who lives in...

Ancient schools of learning in Japan In the 6th century, with the introduction of Buddhism and Confucianism in Japan from China and Korea, the imperial courts devised the first formal learning in Japan. In this blog by Takane sensei, a Japanese language teacher at Japonin(JOI) online school, she introduces one seat of learning that began at a temple and could be said to be the first actual...

Japanese summer food Japanese cuisine or washoku is very changeable according to seasons. But what do you eat when the temperatures soar above 30 degrees Celsius and the humidity rises above 70% ? During days like this, many people lose their appetites and don't feel like eating warm, heavy food – yet we all need to get our nutrition ! Well, as you would guess, there is a washoku solution to...

Japanese mobile games There are many mobile games available to download in Japan. The most popular has been Puzzle and Dragons with about 18 million sales. The second most popular is Monster Strike. However an American developed game based on Japanese Anime characters has just been released. It is looking to overtake the top two mobile games in Japan. I guess you can already guess what game we...