If you ever travel to Nara, the once capital of Japan, you will discover an amazing phenomenon. The deer that populate the park bow to the visitors asking for food, something they’ve been doing for almost a thousand years to mimic the human inhabitants.
If you've ever been to Tokyo or Osaka, then you’ve probably seen these machines all over the place. From a local perspective and from an expat point of view, here are some interesting facts about them.
As long as you stick to some basic rules of etiquette and don’t act entitled to light a cigarette wherever you go, you’ll do just fine. Here’s a quick overview of where you can buy cigarettes in Japan, where you’re allowed to smoke, and where you need to exercise some caution.
Just like everything else, Japan has its own unique Halloween celebration. It is one of the few Western holidays that the Japanese picked up. Discover how it actually came to the country and the present traditions the Japanese have during this festive season.
Where did sentō begin? And why is it so important to Japanese culture? Let’s take a look at why Japan has bath houses in the first place, whether they have a place in modern-day culture, and what to expect if you visit one.
Love them or loathe them, chopsticks are the primary utensil in Japan, so if you’re traveling there you’ll need to know how to eat with chopsticks. Despite having used them several times before, I was worried about making a chopstick faux pas when traveling to Japan for the first time.
Let’s take a look at why the Japanese are now so happy to chow down on horses, and how to go about trying Japanese horse dishes for yourself.
