Tamaki SAITO（西東たまき）

Fireworks festivals (Hanabi-taikai) are a quintessential part of summer in Japan. These dazzling displays light up the night sky, creating memories that last a lifetime. Across the country, there are numerous famous locations where massive fireworks shows take place, such as the Sumida River Fireworks Festival in Tokyo, the Tenjin Festival in Osaka, and the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival. These events often take place by rivers, enhancing the visual beauty of fireworks reflecting on the water's surface. But it's not only the big events that make fireworks special in Japan. Small, local fireworks festivals are held throughout the country during the ...

What is Sekihan? ‘Sekihan’ or ‘Osekihan’ – with the prefix ‘O’ to represent politeness -- is the steamed sticky rice cooked together with red beans called Azuki beans, which is the ingredient for ‘Anko’ -- sweet red bean paste, or similar red beans called ‘Sasage’. Sekihan literally means ‘red rice’. Those red beans turn the rice reddish. And that’s the point. "Azuki" The red is the ceremonial and celebrative color in Japan -- while black and white represent sorrow and condolences. Because of its red color, sekihan is the specialty for every kind of celebrations. To prevent the excess stickiness, ...

Going out carrying home-made lunch filled in the lunch box is very common custom in Japan. Meal put in lunch box is called ‘Obento’. Obento box The lunch box into where the meal is put is basically reusable. Those made of plastic are most common, as they are easy to care, otherwise those made of stainless steel also can be seen. Besides, there are many artisanal wooden or bamboo woven lunch boxes that are beautiful and delicate. Those made of cardboard or thin plastic are also available as disposable ones.   What is in it? The type of food to ...

If you walk on the street in the resident area early in the morning, you would see groups of small children walking towards the elementary school. And you will see all of them carrying the same type of ‘backpack’. That is called ‘Randoseru’ in Japanese. It is said that the origin of the term has come from ‘ransel’ which means ‘backpack’ in Dutch. It was initially imported from the Netherlands in Edo era, for foot soldiers to carry their baggage.   Randoseru = Elementary school student Now randoseru is a symbol for elementary school children. They carry textbooks in it. Typically, ...

Green tea is definitely a typical drink for Japanese people, though actually coffee is quite competitively common in real life. Green tea has several forms such as ‘first harvest’, ‘second harvest’, ‘roasted’ which is caffeine-free, and ‘powdered’ known as ‘matcha’. Green tea in which roasted brown rice is blended is also popular for its toasty flavor. No way One thing that can be almost assured is that Japanese do not have idea of putting sugar in green tea. In fact, bottled green tea is more popular than brewing tea in the pot nowadays. You will find so many products of ...

The kotatsu is an ingenious way of keeping warm in winter. ‘Kotatsu’ is one of the heating equipment widely used in Japanese homes. It is actually one of the symbolic items of Japanese winter homey scenes. The uniqueness of Kotatsu is its build.   Kotatsu structure The low table covered by a duvet or comforter upon which the tabletop is placed. Underneath the table, the heating source is attached so that it creates warm space within. To shut the cold arising from the floor, Kotatsu is usually set upon a carpet that fits the size of the Kotatsu.   You ...

Nowadays Japanese cannot expect to see foreigners struggle with chopsticks. Many of them can use them with ease. But how many foreigners could tell the distinctiveness of Japanese chopsticks? At a glance, Japanese chopsticks have tapered tips unlike those of Chinese or Korean. Basically, they are made of wood or bamboo, hardly made of metals, and lacquered for smoothness and durability. Chopsticks have sizes that match you They have ‘sizes’ (allover length) categorized by men’s and women’s, and for children in different ages, responding to the length of their fingers -- your best size would be well-advised if you consult ...

Bamboo is one of the signs of the arrival of spring. It grows super fast; nearly 1m per day at max! Takenoko: baby bamboo Upon arrival of the spring, bamboo fields will be filled with a bunch of shoots called ‘Takenoko’ and they will be a nice seasonal treat. Takenoko, which literally means ‘baby bamboo’, are to be dug out when only the tip of the shoot are slightly seen. As they grow so fast, they will be too big and hard to eat maybe by next day. You must be Preparation to eat Takenoko has bitter and acridity taste ...

If you stroll around the countryside, you would probably see a number of huge colorful fishes made of silky fabric hung on a tall pole, being blown in the fresh air of early summer. Those fishes are called ‘Koinobori’ – streamers in the shape of carp. They will be seen only in the period from April to 5th of May: Children’s Day, the national holiday. Koinobori is the decoration specific for the Children’s Day, which is to celebrate and wish for children’s good health and healthy growth. Koinobori is arranged like a set of a family. From the top of ...