Like this post? Help us by sharing it! This year, teamLab – the world-famous Japanese art collective – is celebrating 20 years of bringing together art, science, technology and nature with its mesmerising, immersive installations. So, in the name of all things contemporary, arty, and sometimes ultra-futuristic, we’ve decided to mark the occasion by taking […]
Only in Japan
Beyond the cherry blossoms: what’s blooming in Japan’s flower gardens
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! With a calendar that’s filled with events and festivals celebrating the distinct natural phenomena of spring, summer, autumn and winter, there’s no country that embraces its seasons quite like Japan. Case in point? Springtime – a season that’s become a symbol of Japan itself, with its dusting […]
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 […]
A grain of truth: Japanese rice
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! There’s one foodstuff that’s so intrinsic to Japan that word for it cooked (gohan ご飯, also meshi) is also the general meaning of “meal”. It’s part of the fabric of life. You guessed it, we’re talking about the humble grain: rice Rice has been cultivated in Japan […]
The societal pressures that shape Japan
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! People see Japan as a country where there’s a great deal of pressure to conform to social norms. Although it’s something of a tired trope, the phrase ‘the nail that sticks up gets hammered down’ does have a degree of truth to it here. In my eleven […]