Auspicious signs and omens in Japan
In ancient Japan, much in the same way as many ancient cultures, there were many methods and ideas about how to read the future and predict the onset of good or bad times.
With the widely varying seasons and natural disasters in Japan, for farming and fishing communities, predicting future weather conditions and phenomena was actually critical to the way of li...
Osaka food
Japan is a great country for people who enjoy a gourmet experience. There are many Japanese people and foreign tourists that travel throughout Japan just to eat the great food of different cities and prefectures in the country.
Japanese online teacher Emi Sakude introduces one gourmet experience that can be found in her hometown of Osaka. But it is not what you would expect.
When peo...
Dentists in Japan
There are a very very large number of dentists in Japan. Some people joke that there are more dentists than convenience stores or hair-dressers. Although this is obviously an exaggeration, there are a surprising number of private clinics in most cities in Japan.
The quality of dental care can vary from clinic to clinic and for complicated or invasive surgery, ma...
Hokkaido cuisine and food
In Japan there are many places well know for their food, but the most popular one is probably Hokkaido.
Hokkaido is famous for its fresh fish and dairy products. And in each local area, there are other special farming products and specialty cuisines.
In this fascinating blog by a Japanese language teacher, Sayuri Itaya sensei explains one of the highlights of the Hokka...
Bugs in Japan
Japan is a country with various seasons and between the spring and fall seasons, you have the rainy season and the sweltering hot summer. It is these seasons that bring out the bugs and insects in Japan. From mosquitos to caterpillars and from dragonflies to centipedes, you will find a host of harmless and slightly harmful bugs all over the country.
In this really charming and lova...
