Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The origin of Japanese wine is still open for debate… Recently, evidence of ancient grape fermentation has been used by those who support an early origin story. The Jōmon people who inhabited the Japanese archipelago from 14,000 BCE to 1000 BCE are said to have used fermentation […]
Culture & History
Kengo Kuma: Finding Architectural Harmony
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Words by Tyler Palma and quotes from Kengo Kuma reprinted with permission Kengo Kuma has been in the news most recently as the designer of the new Japan National Stadium, the planned site for the Tokyo Olympics. But his prominence as one of the most significant and […]
Ainu face masks
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The face mask has become a more defining feature of everyday life in the last few months than any of us in the West expected. Though it’s now a visible reminder of the coronavirus pandemic, in Japan they’ve been commonplace in hay fever season or as winter […]
Calm by Design: Bringing a Japanese garden home
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! For many people, one of the major attractions of a trip to Japan is the chance to visit some of its world-famous gardens and experience the visual beauty and tranquility they encapsulate. Over the last century and a half, beginning with Japan’s opening, the style has taken […]
Paper Screens
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! I have met thousands of travellers to Japan over the years and one thing that is routinely commented on is how peaceful, organised, quiet, clean and just generally calm people are in Japan. Whether getting stuffed into a crowded rush-hour train, waiting 90 minutes for a bowl […]
Shinto and Buddhist Influences on Anime and Manga – Part II
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Part II I’ve described how Japanese religions have made an impression on the country’s main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, storytelling devices for describing situations the creator can assume the audience will recognize. In Part I we examined Shinto and natural […]
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Part II I’ve described how Japanese religions have made an impression on the country’s main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, storytelling devices for describing situations the creator can assume the audience will recognize. In Part I we examined Shinto and natural […]