A friend recently asked me what it’s actually like for a non-Japanese person to live in Japan, (knowing that my wife and I have lived here for 14 years). The hardest part about answering that question is fitting it into the length of an article, but as the Japanese say, “Ganbarimasu!” (I’ll do my best!) […]
Summer Customs in Japan
Japanese summers are usually introduced by a warm, sunny spring season, but this year, the temperatures and conditions have been wildly erratic. However, ‘Tsuyu’ (the rainy season) has arrived on schedule as usual, bringing with it the typical heat and humidity that can be expected at this time of the year, and the realization that […]
How to See a Sumo Match in Japan
Sumo is one of Japan’s most popular and long-running spectator sports with a 2,000 year legacy. Performed in the past to entertain the Shinto gods, sumo still holds much weight (literally) in the modern era. In sumo, two rikishi or wrestlers enter the ring wearing a silk sash. After throwing salt and performing rituals and […]