Like this post? Help us by sharing it! As you’re strolling around the narrow streets of Kyoto, you might notice little red torii gates, affixed to the walls or tucked down on the ground. Usually, a torii gate is a sure sign there’s a shrine nearby, but here it’s just a blank wall. What’s up with that? There’s a […]
Culture & History
Survival Japanese skills
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Over the next few months, we will be looking at various fun ways to learn a bit of Japanese. We will start with some of the basics, go on to useful greetings, phrases and continue from there, adding to this page as we go. We know that […]
Tempura: the quintessential Japanese, Portuguese dish
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Tempura is a light, crispy, and delectable Japanese classic that you can make at home with just a few ingredients! But first, a quick lesson on its origins. This culinary staple originated in Japan’s famed Edo period. The Tokugawa Shogunate had the country in Sakoku lockdown for, give or take, 220 years. However, Japan wasn’t completely closed off. Among the Portuguese, Dutch and […]
Sakoku: 220 years of self isolation
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! To prevent the spread of Coronavirus, around 20% of the global population are in lockdown with even more social-distancing from others. The last time the world saw an isolation of this scale it was very different in nature: welcome to 17th century Japan, where 30 million people […]
The second coming: Amabie
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Andrew from our Nagoya HQ Customer Support team has been looking into tales of a peculiar Japanese ‘Yokai’ and prevention of the spread of the coronavirus. Yokai are very much part of Japanese culture. They are mythical, mystical and supernatural beings of various powers, shapes and forms […]
What does the ancient concept of ‘kizuna’ look like in modern Japan?
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The Japanese concept of kizuna roughly translates to ‘the bond that connects us’, referring to a deep, innate empathy we all share. The concept is ancient, while it’s widespread use is relatively new. In Japan in 2020, what exactly does kizuna look like? Like this post? Help us by sharing it!
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The Japanese concept of kizuna roughly translates to ‘the bond that connects us’, referring to a deep, innate empathy we all share. The concept is ancient, while it’s widespread use is relatively new. In Japan in 2020, what exactly does kizuna look like? Like this post? Help us by sharing it!