Sumo wrestling is an integral part of Japan’s culture and has been practiced in one form or another for around 2000 years. In part 1 we shared everything you need to know if you are new to Sumo, and want to attend the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. If you haven’t read it yet, follow this...Read More

When people think about Japan, one of the first things they think of is Sumo Wrestling. So when people plan their trips to Japan, they often want to see a Sumo tournament. But what most people don’t realize is that getting to see a Sumo tournament or even a morning Sumo practice is normally quite...Read More

For over 1,300 years, local fishermen in Japan have used an unusual technique to catch river fish during the summer. Japanese cormorants called Ukai in Japanese are trained for up to three years by their owners to help them catch fish. Known as Ukai in Japanese, cormorant fishing is a unique traditional method that is...Read More

Atsuta Shrine, also called, Atsuta-san or Atsuta-sama, is the second most important Shinto shrine in Japan, after the Ise Grand Shrine. The venerated sun goddess Amaterasu is enshrined here as well as being home to the sacred sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi which is one of the three Japanese imperial treasures. Legend has it that Amaterasu gave the...Read More

Hydrangea is a flower with a long history and tradition in Japan. Because of its beauty and special significance, Japanese people adore hydrangea flowers the same way that they do Sakura flowers during spring.  If the plum blossom is the sign of early spring, hydrangea (Ajisai in Japanese) is a sign that summer is approaching....Read More

Of the roughly 70 festivals each year held at Atsuta Shrine, the Atsuta Festival (Atsuta Matsuri or Shobu-sai) is by far the biggest and most important. This festival is held every June 5th and signals the arrival of summer. Summer in Japan is the season of summer festivals and fireworks! Atsuta Jingu, also called, Atsuta-san...Read More

Japan is home to 430 inhabited islands and almost 7,000 total islands!Located a short distance from Nagoya is Sakushima, a crab-shaped island home to amazing seafood and a number of modern art installations that you are able to touch, sit on and crawl all over. Sakushima, also known as “the island of the winds”, is...Read More

Springtime in Japan is famous for a variety of beautiful flowers. One of them is the Japanese wisteria, a flower that captivates with its mysterious beauty and its sweet fragrance. Like wisteria’s more famous cousin the cherry blossom, multiple varieties of wisteria bloom at different times. The average blooming period extends from mid-April to early...Read More

If you think that Matcha is only from Kyoto and you can only enjoy it there, then you are in for a big surprise. Matcha tea can be enjoyed across Japan. Three of the most famous tea-producing regions recognized for producing the best Matcha in Japan are Uji in Kyoto, Fuji in Shizuoka, and just...Read More

With the arrival of spring, all of Japan is dyed in pink. This is because at the end of March Sakura (cherry blossoms) begin blooming. You can see the cherry tree flowers all across Japan: in parks and botanical gardens, around temples and shrines, on the banks of rivers, or covering mountains. The season of...Read More