The rainy season in Japan usually ends by late July, and after rain clouds cleared, real summer comes. Japanese summers are often hot and humid. On 18th July, the Japan Meteorological Agency alerted that almost all regions from Hokkaido to Okinawa would be covered in...
Background Hiroshima hosted the Hiroshima International Animation Festival every 2 years since1985 until 2020. The festival was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing. The theme of the festival was 'Love and Peace', and the award was given to the...
On 9th July, the Nikkei Stock Average rose by nearly 800 yen to close at over 41,500 yen, reaching a new all-time high. Propelled by rising stock prices at the S&P 500 and Nasdaq in the US stock market, semiconductor-related stocks pushed the index higher. Value...
First new banknotes were issued in Japan in 20 years. The new banknotes adopt new technologies to tackle counterfeit: high-resolution watermark around the portraits and the world’s first 3D holograms. Universal design also applies to new banknote. There are tactile...
July 7th is Tanabata (Star Festival)! Are you interested in local festival? Let’s go to Shonam Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival (Kanagawa Prefecture)!! Dates: July 5th – 7th Venue: Shopping street near JR Hiratsuka station (the north exit) , accessed by JR Tokyo Ueno...
This Cooling Pad keeps your baby/kids comfortable during a walk or a long drive. The pad can be chilled (in summer) or warmed (in winter). Place the pad in the cover and set it on stroller/car seat. The pad is durable and hard-wearing. If you are interested in this...
In recent years, there are increasing number of night climbers who start to climb up from the fifth station of Mt. Fuji to watch see the sunrise at the summit. They climb all the way to the summit and immediately descend the mountain. Such climbing is called ‘bullet...
What is Bunraku? Bunraku is a traditional form of Japanese puppet theatre that was founded in Osaka in the 17th century. It is performed by a Syamisen player, puppeteers, and a chanter. The puppeteers show the story visually while the chanter tells the story by voice....
In Japan, April 29, May 3, May 4, and May 5 are public holidays. The week including these holidays is called as the ‘Golden Week’. People often take annual leaves from their workplace to make their holidays longer for vacation. During the Golden Week, many Japanese...
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a mountain sightseeing route in the Northern Japan Alps where visitors can traverse by various means of transportation including cablecars, electric buses and a ropeway. The route is 37.2 km long and a difference in elevation is 1,975...