The largest sci-fi franchise in Japan, Gundam could be likened to the Star Wars franchise of America. In fact, Gundam debuted in Japan in 1979, just two years after Star Wars in America. Sales of Gundam merchandise including toys, models, and video games regularly top the charts. Gundam is based on the idea of huge…
Tag: Culture
Tohoku Week – Shiogama Jinja
Topping a small hill overlooking Shiogama town in Miyagi Prefecture, this fairly large shrine complex has a history of over 1,000 years, surviving earthquakes, fires and tsunamis. It can be included as part of an itinerary containing the Shiogama and Matsushima towns and is well worth a long stroll around the picturesque buildings, pine forests…
Sento (Bathhouse)
The Sento 銭湯, or public bathhouse has been a fixture in Japanese society for centuries. The sento was both a necessity, for many homes lacked a private bath, and a place for social interaction with the intimacy of sharing a bath with members of your community forming a sort of unspoken bond. Since the 1970’s, most homes…
Ikebana 生け花
Ikebana, like tea ceremony, is more than art, but an integral part of Japanese culture. It is a discipline, taking years to master, yet practiced by millions who would attempt it. Unlike the more Western styles of floral design which focus more on color, ikebana focuses more on arrangement. Arrangements range from extremely minimal to…
茶道 Tea Ceremony
Tea ceremony is an art form that is still widely practiced in Japan. Besides learning from tea masters through instruction, many public schools still have after school clubs to teach tea ceremony to young women and men. The act of serving tea embodies the Japanese spirit of service and humility; the tools used in tea…
成人式 Seijin Shiki
The second Monday in January is Seijin Shiki, or Coming of Age Day in Japan. Men and women turning 20 years old during that year are celebrated as adults and given the rights of adulthood including voting and use of alcohol and tobacco. The young women especially love to dress up in fancy kimono…
365 JAPAN 