culture
The term agritourism is widely known now. While it doesn’t seem to be acknowledged as ‘agritourism’, the long-run habit of fruit picking in Japan should be one of them. Every season has its special fruits that come to the harvest like strawberry in early spring, pear and grape in early autumn and such and such. There are number of farms open their estate for tourists for fruit picking. Tourists are allowed to take a walk around the farm and pick fruits and eat fresh as much as they feel like. This is one of the common holiday activities in Japan. ...
If you want to take a walk or kill time and don’t want to spend money, library shall be the perfect destination; fully air-conditioned and full of books, magazines, CDs and DVDs from the latest to the classics. Every local government has several of the well-stocked libraries per district. You can visit there and just scan the latest materials at the site or if you prefer, you can borrow them for a specific period, most of the case for two weeks and extendable, as per stipulated at each facility, if you are resident of the district. This system has contributed ...
Very early in the morning, much before dawn, you will hear the sound of motorbike going around the houses and apartments. They are ‘Shimbun haitatsu’ newspaper delivery. Although people who subscribe newspaper are decreasing than before, along with the spread of the internet that provides various information immediately, especially among young generation. Internet will update you per minutes. But newspaper delivery is still much alive. One way or another we must get things Win To combat with the internet news services, newspaper agents are very keen to keep up the number of subscription. They send salespersons occasionally to visit houses ...
Japan loves to borrow words from English — but what’s funny is that many of them have taken on completely new meanings here.They sound familiar to English speakers, yet… not quite right.These unique creations are called Japanese-made English, or wasei-eigo (和製英語). Let’s look at some fun examples you might come across in everyday Japan! “Salaryman” and “Office Lady” If you meet someone who introduces himself as a salaryman, he’s simply saying he’s an office worker — someone who earns a monthly salary.And his female colleague? She’s an Office Lady, or OL for short. These words are everywhere in Japan — ...
Konnnichiwa (hello) must be the most well-known Japanese greeting. ‘Konnichiwa’ will be used any time after ‘good morning’ time but before ‘good evening’ time. ‘Ohayo’ is good morning. Ohayo followed by ‘Gozaimasu’ (oayo gozaimasu) is the polite version. ‘Konbanwa’ (good evening) is the greeting used in the evening and afterwards. Greeting at Departure When you go out, anytime of a day, you will say to anyone you leave behind ‘Ittekimasu’ which literally means ‘I’m going’. You will be answered by ‘Itterasshai’, let’s say ‘Have a nice day’. When you are back, you are supposed to say ‘Tadaima’ toward anyone at ...
It’s been quite decades since the separation of household garbage was started in several communities. By now almost all communities have established the full set of rules on garbage management and put them into practice rigorously. For new comers to the community, the chart and list will be given which tells you how to separate items correctly and how to dispose them properly. Unsorted disposal is not allowed or they will be left uncollected. Garbage is chiefly categorized into 5 groups Burnable garbage, non-burnable garbage, plastic, over-sized garbage, and recyclables such as cans, bottles, glasses, batteries, papers in different types, ...
Few everyday items reflect Japan’s love of precision and minimalism better than the so-called “sharp pencil” — what English speakers know as the mechanical pencil. In Japan, these aren’t just tools for writing; they’re a blend of engineering, practicality, and quiet beauty. What Is a “Sharp Pencil”? In Japanese, a mechanical pencil is called shaap penshiru (シャープペンシル) — often shortened to “sharp.” While many countries rely on ballpoint pens for schoolwork, Japanese students overwhelmingly prefer mechanical pencils. Why? Because graphite can be erased cleanly with a plastic eraser, keeping notebooks neat and legible. For most students, a sharp pencil ...
Keigo is the honorific language in Japanese, which is one of the major categories that have to be mastered to be a proper Japanese speaker. Let’s start from a simple example. ‘Sushi’: the most famous Japanese dish actually is hardly called ‘sushi’ especially among ladies, and the people who want to use polite speech: it has to be called ‘O-sushi’. Prefix ‘O’ denotes politeness. ‘Cha’ (tea) will be called ‘O-cha’, ‘Hashi” (chopsticks) will be ‘O-hashi’, equally. "Go" & "o" But it’s a bit tricky. You can’t put ‘O’ to just anything, as it should be ‘GO’ in some cases like ...
There are, in this world, several countries that have a culture to take off the shoes at the house entrance. Japan is definitely one of them. Japanese houses are made to separate strictly inside and outside. When you open the entrance door, there is an open space where you take off your shoes. The house floor is set approx. 10cm up to knee high raised from the entrance to allow very little chance that dirt reaches to the floor. That makes your feet feel completely clean and smooth on the floor. Even though, people wear slippers which are strictly for ...
Every summer in Japan, the night sky bursts into color as fireworks festivals — hanabi-taikai (花火大会) — light up towns and cities across the country. More than just a visual spectacle, these events represent joy, togetherness, and the fleeting beauty that defines Japanese aesthetics. Families, couples, and friends gather by riversides, parks, and beaches to watch the fireworks bloom like giant flowers.In a season marked by heat and humidity, these displays offer a cool, shared moment of wonder under the stars. The Meaning Behind Hanabi The word hanabi (花火) literally means “flower fire.”It captures the Japanese appreciation for impermanence — ...
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