Like this post? Help us by sharing it! I remember a particular and inescapable JR promotional travel poster from years back. Unlike other advertisements, the deceptively simple message was actually more striking than the beautiful image. Three simple words: Nikko is Nippon. Beating like a drum as you marched through any and every train station […]
Culture & History
Tea with a Maiko
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! On my recent trip to Japan, I had the privilege of having tea with a trainee geisha, commonly known as a Maiko. Despite having lived in Japan for 3 years, my knowledge of this world was fairly limited. So it was with nervous excitement that I approached […]
Japanese Tea Ceremony Etiquette
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Like this post? Help us by sharing it! A Japanese tea ceremony is about tea only on its surface. From the positioning of guests to the cleaning of the tools to the scooping of the loose-leaf tea, everything has significance. The deeper purpose of the tea ceremony is appreciation – of the items served, of […]
Dr. Kanji – Japanese language master of mystery
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Like this post? Help us by sharing it! After a long absence, the mysterious Dr. Kanji returns with musings about the Japanese language and comments on its use and evolution in the modern Japanese language that we can read, write and hear today ….but who is this doctor of the Chinese character? The mystery of […]
Random cultural experiences – The Barbers
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! You find yourself in the middle of Tokyo with a free hour on your hands. You scratch your chin and ponder the question – where can I experience an immediate authentic cultural experience that is guaranteed to not be on any travel itinerary? Why not a local […]
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! You find yourself in the middle of Tokyo with a free hour on your hands. You scratch your chin and ponder the question – where can I experience an immediate authentic cultural experience that is guaranteed to not be on any travel itinerary? Why not a local […]