Blogs edited and submitted by Chiho Kamioka

Chinese medicine in Japan Chinese medicine is known as Kanpo in Japan. It is based on herbal medicine that has a long and traditional history and was brought to Japan from China around the 5th century. It is often viewed as alternative medicine by most people in modern Japan, but you can also use the national health insurance to receive herbal remedies, so it is officially acknowledged as a via...

The four seasons of Japan It is well known that Japan has four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. But because of the elongated nature of the islands of Japan, from north to south, the changes of seasons are slightly different between each area and the severity of each season can differ from place to place. In this blog by a Japanese teacher living in Niigata, you can read about and also...

Translating Japanese words There are some words in Japanese that are difficult to translate into another language. One of the most often used words in Japanese manga and anime, "Ganbatte!" is one of these words. It can have a different meaning depending on the situation and the person saying it. In this blog for Japanese language learners, by Japanese teacher Kumiko Yatabe deals with these mean...

Cherry blossom season in Japan The cherry blossom season usually occurs from the end of March and often reaching full bloom in early April. However, possibly due to global warming, the season for the flowers reaching full bloom has been getting earlier and earlier. 2021 saw the earliest blooming since the 1400s! The brevity of the flowers' lifespan is often juxtaposed with the fragility of life...

Changes in lifestyles during the pandemic Lifestyles have changed greatly during the Coronavirus pandemic. Many people have had to spend time indoors more. And a large number of people have taken to working from home, or change their ways of commuting. Have you made any changes to your lifestyle? Well, Japanese online school teacher Chiharu Takase has been reflecting on things she would like to ...