The end of summer approaches…

30 August 2009 10:16 AM Culture, Japanese Holidays No Comments

bonkazari

After enduring a slew of hot summer nights with sleep so hard to come by, it was refreshing to wake up to a cool autumn breeze this morning. The end of summer is approaching. Kids at the park are enjoying their last week of summer vacation and soaking up the late summer sun.

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Blue Monday Syndrome after Golden Week?

12 May 2009 12:16 PM Food, Japanese Holidays, Personal No Comments

calendar

What sort of traits come to your mind when you think of Japanese people? Polite, reserved, detail-oriented, serious, perfectionist, nerd? How about hard working? Well, let me rephrase it: workaholics? Yes, Japanese people are known as workaholics. Subways at seven in the evening are filled, not with people going home, but with those heading back to their offices. Workers become restless around midnight when trains stop running for the night. Fortunately, some large corporations offer cab coupons for employees who miss the last train. So what do these workaholics do when they’re not working for 16 days?

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Do you have a modern face?

3 March 2009 7:05 PM Culture, Products, Tradition 1 Comment

– How Japanese aesthetics changed over time

hina_doll3

Here in Japan, we are about to celebrate Hina-Matsuri (Japanese doll festival or girl’s day) on March 3rd. Families with daughters usually display Ohina-sama at their home to wish for their young girls to grow up healthy.

Since we are celebrating my daughter’s first Hina-Matsuri this year, we decided to check out what kind of Ohina-sama are out on the market.

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