Cherry blossom, or sakura (桜), is a national treasure in Japan. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Japanese people and tourists flock to cherry blossom viewing areas for hanami (花見) or flower viewing parties. This is not a new trend as flower viewing has been a pastime for many centuries. For a special treat, transport…

Aizuwakamatsu is a city in the centre of Fukushima prefecture, in Tohoku Northern Japan. Once known only as Wakamatsu (meaning young pine), the name of the area changed to Aizuwakamatsu in 1955. Aizuwakamatsu has a rich and long history, being the site of the ancient Mutsu province. This region was said to have been settled…

Author’s photo Japanese pornographic industry is getting bigger and bigger by the time flies, always evolving and exploring new paths. But where does exactly the “modern” pornographic industry as we know take its roots? Due to lots of laws, Japan has developed this industry quite differently from the rest of the world which has brought…

Sakura in the Traditional Japanese Painting One of the things that make Japan an interesting place to go to is seeing Sakura or “Cherry Blossoms”, a flowering plant almost seen in most of the well-known places in Japan. “Sakura” is part of the Japanese culture. This flower is very symbolic to the Japanese people and…

Have you heard of the Japanese phrase, “shokuyoku no aki (食欲の秋)”? Literally, it means that people have an increased appetite for food during the autumn season, and there are three reasons as to why this theory holds true. First of all, many food items tend to be in-season during autumn where there is a lot…

The thinnest yarn-dyed silk fabric ever made. There is no better word to describe Kawamata’s fairy feather silk, from its production down to the final product, other than “special” – special raw materials, special technology, a special bond between those involved in its development, and a very special product guaranteed to make anyone who wears…

Have you ever heard of ‘Mushi Mushi Land’? It sounds a bit like a fluffy bunny place, but it actually is something quite different: ‘mushi’ means ‘bug’ in Japanese and Mushi Mushi Land is a nature park in Fukushima which has been dedicated to the study and display of insects. The place is abundant in…

It is a fundamental human concern to nurture one’s life and to find happiness in living. The wake of the disaster in Fukushima has strengthened some positive-minded people who never lost hope in dreaming. In order to communicate their experience to the world, a documentary film has been made entitled “Threshold: Whispers of Fukushima” which…

Shortly after spring has sprung and the sakura have all fallen from the trees, people in Japan start to feel hungry for summer! The heat can be brutal, particularly in big cities, and the humidity level is quite high! So whether you’re visiting or living in Japan, why not join the locals and discover just…

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was reported as the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. 2016 marks the 5th anniversary of the incident, the area has been abandoned ever since the disaster occurred. What does the deserted area look like today? Dangerous Radiation Levels photo-ac.com The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster occurred on the 11th of March…