Journey on the Tokaido (Shinagawa is Stop Number Two)
Now that we have left the first stop Nihonbashi (described in my previous article), we are approaching our next stop of Shinagawa. Imagine you are traveling from Edo (Present Tokyo) to Kyoto during early 1800’s. It is highly likely that Tokaido Road was used to make your journey. It runs north and …(630 words)
AustinA
Shinagawa Tokyo Tokaido 53 Tsugi Train Summer Art Kyoto Hara Museum
Photography Workshops in English
If you are a foreigner in Tokyo looking to learn some photography techniques in English, then you have some excellent opportunities here. In the almost 15 years that I have been in Japan, it was only about 4 years ago when I took up photography more seriously. I believe learning is a continuous pro…(396 words)
Ani
Photography English workshop Art Internet Tokyo Hobby Nature
Tenkara Fishing – From Ancient Japan to A Popular Sport With 80 Outlets in the United States
On a summer hike with a family friend in Winter Park, Colorado, we meandered into a conversation about Japan, my home for 29 years. Wow, Japan! That is so great! Tenkara is one of my favorite fishing styles! I love it!” My Cousin’s best friend’s husband from Boulder Colorado lit up with excitement …(953 words)
Japan
City
Park
Food
Trip
Winter
Nature
Fishing and angling
Manhole Covers Highlight Local Features
This is because they are emblazoned with cartoon characters or buildings that have a connection to the local area. There has even been an increase in the number of so called “manhole-joshi,” that is women who like to take pictures of unique “design manhole” covers. A panel discussion event called “…(264 words)
HiraganaTimes
Japan Event Trip Souvenir Japanese Television design new cartoon
There is a legend of “Enma the Great”. Japanese fear so much...
Japanese fear,“Enma the Great”.There is a legend of “Enma the Great”.The person who lied is pulled out his tongue by “Enma the Great”.It is such a legend.So the Japanese are all, They don't speak little lie.“Enma the Great” also appeared on the Japanese music.In Japan, there…(136 words)
asteka
Tokyo Music idol City Japan Japanese Shop Guide
The Doll's Festival
The Doll's Festival (March 3rd) is the day to celebrate the growth of girls. As bringers of good luck, we eat rhombus-shaped mochi and Hina-arare (sweetened rice-flour cakes for offering at the Dolls' Festival). Hina-arare have 4 colorful rice cakes (pink, green, yellow and white) representing four…(93 words)
OKAKI-sun
Trip Mochi (Rice cake) Rice cracker Hinaarare Japanse event
Worth to learn "IKEBANA" once you are in Japan!
Have you ever tried IKEBANA?IKEBANA is the Japanese traditional flower arrangement, but you never imagine there is much difference from the regular floral designs prevailing in Western style. Learning IKEBANA provides you understanding a true-feel about Japan and you can find who you are thro…(145 words)
Ami
IKEBANA Tokyo English Nature Flower activities Shinjuku Museum
Getting Clean in Japan
When you want to get clean after a long, crowded, sweaty day on the subway, you may retreat to your bathroom and jump into a deep Japanese bathtub and let the stress of the day drift away. Many westerners love a good soak, but like many things that are wonderfully different here in Japan, there is …(290 words)
Alex
Onsen sento Etiquette Public Bath Bath
From a Hawaii-grown Japan Fan: The Mind-Whopping Truth Behind Japan’s Kikaida Super Hero
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x89val_人造人間キカイダー-op-ed_shortfilmsMy elementary-school friends and I in Hawaii in the late 70s would rush home on Wednesday afternoons to watch this show. It started at 3 p.m. and my sister Joy and I would go directly to the waiting school bus at Pearl R…(1199 words)
Japanese TV shows
History
Airport
Flower
Playing
Garden
Stay
Japanese Pop Culture
Japanese Culture and Style
Tera (Temple)
Learn Japanese Traditional Culture : Tea Ceremony
By learning Japanese tea ceremony, you will derive much pleasure in various things by doing the followings. - Put yourself in a special environment of tea ceremony room away from busy daily life- Enjoy seasonal Japanese confectioneries over green tea- Encounter with various lovely tea utens…(150 words)
OKAKI-sun
Tea Green tea green Sounds
Assistance/Help button: Subway ticket machine
Tokyo is covered by a dense network of train, subway and bus lines. They are operated by about a dozen different companies. The train lines operated by JR East and the subway lines are most convenient for moving around central Tokyo. Although smartphones and mobile phones can provide great navigati…(129 words)
EmiOnishi
Ticket Subway Ticket machine Tokyo Train Bus Movie Mobile network
Tourist Tip #7: DON'T!
Nobody wants to do the wrong thing when visiting a foreign country, and with Japan regarded as one of the politest countries in the world, there are plenty of wrong things that one can unintentionally D'oh!I posted a "Tourist Tip #5: Five Don'ts to Do" list a while back, and thought I would exp…(495 words)
Former Deep Japan Writer
Tourist Tip Etiquette Guide Taxicab Train Drink Beer Party
Japan's Money Men and Women (Part 1 of 2)
Have you ever wondered about the people who appear on Japanese paper money? Here's a quick two-part article to familiarize you with the famous faces that grace Japan's bank notes.Hideyo Noguchi (November 24, 1876 – May 21, 1928), also known as Seisaku Noguchi, was a distinguished Japanese bacteriol…(131 words)
Former Deep Japan Writer
Japanese money Yen Famous people
What emus have to do with Japanese Technology
Think Japan, you'll sooner than later think technology. It's an association made around the world. It's why Akihabara remains one of the first (and last) places foreign tourists visit when they come - to take in and take advantage of the latest technology for sale.Part of the research I do for …(248 words)
Former Deep Japan Writer
Technology Japanese Visit City Japan English Akihabara Work Computer Cars
Today, in Japan, I Fell in Love With Kyogen
My friend invited me to watch him perform “Kyogen” in Shibuya Today. It was my first experience, seated in a perfectly constructed Nogakudo deep in Cerulean Tower’s basement (B-2, five minutes walk from Shibuya Station), to spend an extended time in awe of the art form known as Noh.Here is the …(802 words)
Japan
Kyogen
Art
Kyoto
Shibuya
Walk
view
Noh
Japanese Theatre
The Tama Sushi Experience: Learning how to make sushi the right way!
Deep Japan Senpai Jason, Katharina and myself were invited by Tama Sushi to receive the Tama Sushi Experience, so we could give them our opinions and convey our experiences to you via Deep Japan. Lucky us -- not only did we have a great time, we learned a lot and enjoyed a sushi lunch too!The l…(432 words)
Aron
Sushi History Tsukiji Japan English Ginza Eat Sashimi (Raw fish) Fish Japanese
The Vague Expression “Bimyou” is “Yabai”
The Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the results of an opinion poll on the Japanese language carried out between January and February, 2015.It became apparent that the meaning of some words had changed over these last ten years.The word “yabai,” originally used to denote impending danger…(246 words)
HiraganaTimes
Japan English Japanese used new
Japanese style wedding, what it is like?
According to national statistics in Japan, a bit more than 600,000 couples got married in 2017. Another private survey for such newly married couples showed that two-thirds of them had a wedding ceremony and that only 17% of them chose Japanese traditional style, Shinto wedding ceremony, while 65% …(453 words)
TomokoI
wedding Tokyo Event Jinjya (Shrine) Kimono experience Kimono fashion for men Kimono Chiba Tokyo Bay Sake (Rice wine)
Learn the Rich History of Yokohama, Japan at Family-Friendly Museum
The Yokohama Kaiko Shiryokan (Yokohama Archives of History) is a museum in Yokohama, dedicated entirely to the opening of the port city of Yokohama to Western trade in 1859. This was an important event which led to the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868, marking the end of the Edo Period an…(91 words)
GenS
Museum History Yokohama Japan
The importance of "bihaku"
Unlike many of the Western countries, Japanese tend to not show much skin when going out. They favor "bihaku" meaning white, clear skin and therefore cover up as much as possible using clothing, hats and sun umbrellas. Even in the scorching summer, you will see many people wearing long pants, long …(100 words)
RieS
Fashion Summer
It is ok to drink in public in most of Japan
In Tokyo and all of Japan, there are not many laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public, whether it's on the sidewalk or in a park. Some parks, such as Shinjuku Gyoen park, prohibit, but if there's no signs posted, then it's fine. However, it's best to be considerate of others and not g…(83 words)
KurtisW
Tokyo Park Etiquette Shinjuku Drink Beer
Aisatsu
The use of aisatsu is probably one of the best ways to strike up a relationship in Japan. "Aistatsu" are greetings such as "Konnichi wa" (Hello, used during the day). Try using aisatsu at a variety of places; eg. in the elevator, in the park, at ths supermarket or in the izakaya (as per the above e…(97 words)
StevieB
Park Izakaya Greeting
The Legendary Tengu
One common statue at various Japanese temples is the Tengu. It is defined by its characteristically long nose, and round face often with a beard that gives it the appearance of an elderly man.The earliest Tengu however were origingally depicted with a beak, likening it to a bird of prey. In fac…(128 words)
KurtisW
Tokyo
Where can you buy a Kimono for a good price in Japan?
I love to wear Kimono to weddings and parties in Japan. It is also really fun to get dressed up early on a Saturday morning and spend the day at Midtown or Shinjuku Gyouen in Kimono. You would be very surprised at how easy it is to wear and how comfortable the little zori slippers are. You will fee…(190 words)
Kimono
Tokyo
Roppongi
Tera (Temple)
Art
Hair
Slippers
Kimono experience
Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo
Gekka Bijin Beauty Salon Roppongi
Cleanliness in Key in Japanese Shops
One thing I absolutely love about Japan is how clean everything is. Today I was at a soba shop and I noticed the little cup of toothpicks was knocked over and that about 20 toothpicks were strewn across the countertop. I noted this to the staff in the restaurant and he immediately said "So Sorry!" …(183 words)
Fast food
Tokyo
Restaurant
Etiquette
Soba noodles
Coffee
Shop
Bunny Signs are the New Cute Traffic Cones in Japan
Sometimes I wonder how Japanese life stays so placid. Placid in a good sense, like the surface of a deep ocean on a calm day. There is a lot going on underneath but the surface is flat, peaceful and non-threatening. In Japanese we call it "Joushiki" which to me is best translated as "civility" or "…(355 words)
Japanese lifestyle
Japan
Tokyo Station
Travel Japan Kawaii
Japanese Culture and Style
Japanese Culture
Cute Japan
Exploring tokyo
Shokudo Tokyo
Japanese Geta, Traditional Shoes in Japan, To Getya Going!
Are you from Hawaii? If you are...help me out here. At Pearl Ridge Elementary School (during the 70s) we went through a footwear boom called "Klonks". It was just around the time that coolots (the jeans type) and those feathered clip-on decorations you put in your hair, were popular. Now, do yo…(611 words)
Geta slipper
Japan
Shoes
Japanese Culture
Japanese Summer
Japanese Culture and Style
Japan Travel Summer
Japanese Kimono
Japanese Footwear
Yokohama
Tanuki - Racoon Dogs
If you live in the suburbs of Tokyo like I do, then you might be lucky enough to have some neighborhood Tanuki! In the suburbs, there are still a number of farms and open spaces. And there is some surprising wildlife as well, such as this family of Tanuki. This Tanuki family would come by almost…(174 words)
Kevin
Tanuki Suburbs Live Lucky Park
Railway rules - “Mutual Cooperation Culture” in Japanese commuter trains
Rush hours are extreme in Tokyo as well as Japan's other major cities. In order to make this brutal moment of every day less stressful, both commuters and train companies are making invisible efforts.During the morning rush hours, people will get in line and stand in a queue. They will get on train…(449 words)
yumin
Train Subway Rush hour Tokyo Ticket Winter English Japanese Culture Railway platform Vending Machines
The Street Photographer’s Photowalk Kit
Of all the genres of photography, the one that I enjoy the most is street photography. The freedom of being able to walk around (alone or in a group) the streets and capture what’s happening around me is a wonderful experience that not just feeds my passion for the art, but also calms my mind and w…(1406 words)
Ani
Walk Camera Wi-Fi Mobile Photography Art May Juice
INTERVIEW 1: Finding... Work in Japan
I'd like to start my interviews of people from outside of Japan whom have found work in Japan, with Michael Meyer, from Berlin, Germany.JB: Welcome Michael and thanks for agreeing to share your story.Michael we were in contact while you were in your native Germany, before you came to Japan, a…(2101 words)
GoodPeople
Work Trip English Business Visa Restaurant Food Tea
Enjoy Yokohama on Discount Tickets
The only thing better than visiting Yokohama is visiting Yokohama at discount prices! Thanks to several -often unknown about- special discount tickets - you can!Here's a list of the best values (all tickets are good for one day only):Yokohama-Minatomirai Pass (JR East)The Yokohama-Minat…(547 words)
Former Deep Japan Writer
Yokohama City Trip Tokyo Park Hotel English Art Museum Shibuya
How to be successful at a japanese-english bilingual fair. Be an explorer.
Career Forum is a bilingual job fair organized by DISCO International worldwide (Boston, Tokyo, Osaka, London,etc). You have to register through the CFN website. Rome wasn't built in one day. Finding a job is a lengthy process. Furthermore, nothing could guarantee you to win the first prize: a …(645 words)
Naoka
English Japanese Work Tokyo Japan Event Etiquette Business Osaka Stay
Toilet Ikebana
One thing that the digital revolution in photography has allowed is for one to have a camera on your mobile 24/7 .... so you can take photos anywhere, anytime, any place. Near my home we have a large park with public toilets where I occasionally make use of the men's facilities. Have been doing so …(337 words)
GMBPGM tEChOvision
IKEBANA Japan Etiquette Toilet Park Japanese Flower Camera used new
Tatami in the summer time
Although not all houses have tatami flooring these days (many apartments and homes will just have one or two "tatami rooms", usually bedrooms), you generally do not have a bed with legs on the tatami floor. Having heavy furniture with edges will leave pressure dents in the tatami after time, so sim…(133 words)
KurtisW
Summer Futon
Experience the Roaring Excitement of a Japanese Baseball Game
The aspect of Japanese baseball I enjoy the most is the cheering. Unlike at a game in the States where the crowd only gets loud when a team is close to scoring or something exciting happens, a game in Japan consists of constant cheering. When one team is on the offence, the fans of the team in the …(196 words)
GenS
Baseball Japan Game Guide bats
Kyudo at the Tokyo Budokan
One of the nicest Kyudo ranges in the Tokyo area can be found at the Tokyo Budokan. The range is unique in that it offers both short range targets at 28 meters and long range targets at 60 meters. Unless you are possess a minimum of first level black belt rank from the Budokan or other Kyudo fe…(127 words)
KurtisW
Fun Children Activities in Japan, Learn Martial Arts
Bushido refers to the samurai way of life, the "yamato damashii" or the samurai spirit. It is a general attitude towards life including things like respecting hierarchal relationships, putting great emphasis on loyalty, and dying with honor. Since samurai don't exist anymore, its difficult to see o…(575 words)
GenS
Japan Children activities Convenience store Building Sea Sport Samurai Art
Otoshidama - money gift to children
In Japan, adults are supposed to give money gift to their children or grandchildren including relatives'children or sometimes friend's children on New Year's Day. This custom is known as 'otoshidama.' Money is handed out in small,beautifully decorated envelopes called 'pochibukuro'. These can be b…(120 words)
EmiOnishi
New year
Kyumeikan Dojo in Itabashi
There is a Kendo dojo in Itabashi called the Kyumeikan dojo. They can teach Kendo to students as young as 3 years old and offer classes in English. The dojo is unique in that it sends students to other dojos to learn from other teachers and offers dinners so students and teachers can get to better …(69 words)
KurtisW
Tokyo