Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Every culture has rituals and ceremonies that mark the key stages of life – usually birth, marriage, and death. In many cases, these rituals have a religious significance. The baby of Catholic parents, for example, will probably be baptised in church. At a Jewish wedding the groom […]
Festivals & Events
The Circle of Life – Rituals, Celebrations and Festivals in Japan
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Seasons and cycles Living in Japan, I’ve been flabbergasted a number of times when someone has asked, in all seriousness, if my home country of England has the same cycle of four seasons as Japan. It’s something the Japanese hold as unique and prized. While politely pointing […]
The Rituals of Childhood
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! You are struck by ritual and tradition everywhere in Japan – from the moment you step off the plane to the ground crew bowing your arrival. What may seem quite different, or even quaint at the time, is actually just a continuation of values and traditions instilled […]
5 things you never knew about Christmas in Japan
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Merry Christmas everyone! Or “Meri Kurisumasu”, as they have it over in Japan. It’s estimated that less than one percent of Japan’s population in Christian, and so it should come as no surprise that Christmas in Japan is not an official national holiday in Japan. New Year […]
Art in Japan: 6 Setouchi Triennale tips
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Only swinging around every three years, art lovers eagerly count down the days until the next Setouchi Triennale. Not least of all travel consultant Michael Trombold; after being lucky enough to visit Japan’s famous art islands recently, he shares his top festival tips. Like this post? Help […]