culture
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Kawagoe Festival, Famous for its Beautiful Floats | Japanese Festival Guide
Kawagoe Matsuri is an October festival not far from Tokyo. They use elaborately decorated floats that you rarely see in the big cities, and the traditional backdrop of Kawagoe makes it a beautiful sight.
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Nature Love in Japan | Japanese Culture Guide
Nature love is all around in Japan. What’s the history of Japan’s relationship with nature? And how can you immerse yourself in nature when you travel to Japan?
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Yokai | Scary and Cute Japanese Monsters
Do you like slightly unsettling and scary folk tales? Japan has plenty of them. Let us introduce 3 famously eerie Japanese yokai monsters to you!
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Cup Noodles | A very popular dish among the Japanese
Cup Noodles are a popular instant noodle brand sold in a cup invented by the Japanese in 1971. This article explains the development of the Cup Noodle and the Cup Noodle Museums in Osaka and Yokohama.
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Plastic Food Samples | Japan’s Wonderful Technology
Elaborately made food samples in Japan’s restaurant windows help you decide if you want to eat there. Did you know that you can buy them as a souvenir or even try to make them yourself?
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Jomon Period | The Beginning of Japanese History
The Jomon Period is the first-named period in Japanese history, and it was 70,000 – 10,000 years ago. Let’s learn what the period was like and where you can see related ruins and exhibitions.
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Japanese History : A Short and Simple Overview
Have you always wanted to understand Japanese history in a nutshell? Here is a handy, short overview of Japanese history from 14,000 BC to the modern time!
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Traditional desserts that are very popular among the Japanese
Japanese desserts are probably a bit different from what you are used to, but there are some really great ones out there. Here are our 5 favorite Japanese desserts and their recipes!
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Calligraphy in Japan | Beautiful and dynamic expression
Calligraphy is called ‘shodo’ in Japan, and it is an art form with a very long history. How did Japanese calligraphy evolve? And what is the function of calligraphy in modern Japanese society?
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Super Solo Culture in Japan
Recently, cities in Japan have become much more solo-customer-friendly. The so-called ‘super solo culture’ has taken off and will probably only grow larger. What gave rise to this culture, and where can you go to experience it?
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Maglev Super Fast New Train in Japan
Maglev is a super fast train that uses magnetic levitation. Japan is currently building a maglev train that will run up to 500 km/h. See where you can already experience this train in action.
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The 100 Yen Shop in Japan | Very convenient and very popular
The 100 yen shop (dollar store) is very popular in Japan. It is a convenient shop because you can find almost anything you are looking for, including great affordable souvenirs for foreign tourists. Let’s find out what they sell!
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Golden Week Holiday in Japan
Between late April and the beginning of May, there are four national holidays. We call this period Golden Week. Let’s find out how the Japanese like to spend this period and how you should travel to avoid the crowds.
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Omikuji Fortune Papers in Japan
Omikuji is a fortune paper you find in the Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. On it, you will find a message from the deities and your fortune level. Why don’t you try it when you visit Japan?
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The great Toyotomi Hideyoshi who unified Japan
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the second warlord who tried to unify Japan after the long warring states period ended in the late 16th century. Let’s learn more about his successes and failures.
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Warlords of the Warring States Period in Japan
The Warring States Period (15th to 16th century) was an exciting time in Japanese history. Military rulers were replaced one after another until shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan. Let’s learn more about this period!
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Oda Nobunaga | Achieved the Unification of Japan
Oda Nobunaga was the first warlord who tried to unify Japan after the long Warring States Period in the late 16th century. Though he was cruel, people love his leadership. Let’s learn more about his unique biography.
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Onta Pottery | Traditional Pottery with very beautiful patterns.
Onta is a small village in Oita, Kyushu. They produce pottery with traditional techniques without using electric power. Strolling along the old street and visiting a few workshops to watch how they produce pottery is a great way to enjoy this town.
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Takayama | Japan’s largest and most gorgeous festivals and Wonderful Shrines
is a town of old wooden houses standing side-by-side, highlighted by projecting lattice and eaves of uniform height, and it never fails to draw visitors’ attention.
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Dogo Onsen Ehime | One of the oldest hot springs
Dogo Onsen is a hot spring resort with a long history. What are some of the stories connected to the resort area? And what does it look like?