During our excursions in Tochigi prefecture last year, we visited Mashiko Pottery Fair. Held twice a year, this festival is a popular destination in Mashiko, which is well-known for its ceramics. Many potters set up shop in the quiet town,…
It’s no secret that summer in Japan is meltingly hot. Humid air meets blazing sun, and in rainy season 梅雨 (tsuyu), the moist air kicks everything up a notch. Soon you’ll find yourself sweating through your clothes if you don’t…
Although Japan is widely known for its public transportation, many people still drive. In rural and suburban areas, cars are the primary means of transportation. In my experience this typically means that the buses are few and far between, and…
Nowadays it’s widely known that Japan celebrates Christmas with KFC, originating with a near genius marketing campaign. Takeshi Okawara, enterprising manager of the first KFC in Japan, started the tradition as a one-store campaign in the 70’s and it just stuck. And…
From November to January, the air grows chill. Leaves turn signature shades of orange, red and yellow. And Illumination graces the city streets, bathing everything in the ethereal glow I’ve come to associate with Winter in Japan. Unlike the US, people…
The first time I traveled to Japan, there were several things I wished I had in my bag. After several stops to public restrooms left me with dripping hands, I needed a hand towel. Not to mention a pass-holder for…
When my husband and I decided we wanted to live in Japan, we had to formulate a game plan. Japan, while a beautiful, complex country, is also historically… xenophobic. This makes immigrating there quite difficult. From the isolationism and closing of…