On March 3rd in Japan, people celebrate the Girls’ Festival, called “HINAMATSURI”(雛祭り). On the day, people traditionally celebrate girls’ growth mainly by displaying beautiful dolls in ancient costumes of the Heian era with peach flowers in each house, and eating cubic rice crackers (Hina-arare). However, there are some popular sweets for this festival which are…

Without a doubt, Kyoto has become one of tourists’s favorite cities in Japan because of its intact and well preserved cultural heritage sites. The city contains numerous shrines and temples, and it’s surrounded by beautiful nature that turns into vibrant shades of red in autumn or delicate blooms of white and pink in spring. There…

Kumagaya City, host of three Rugby World Cup games in September and October, is a great place to enjoy the last of the summer months and cool down with some outstanding frozen dessert. Japan’s “hottest city” has a proud rugby history, spanning all the way back to 1967 when it hosted rugby matches during the…

Ice cream is, to many, one of the greatest pleasures in Life! So many tempting varieties exist all over the world, and wherever the country your are in, Ice cream is widely adopted by the majority. In Japan, ice cream is extremely popular. Despite not being a traditional dessert or snack, you can now find…

Wagashi is traditional Japanese sweets that are usually served with green tea. They have a wide variety of shapes, ingredients, consistencies, and preparation methods. Some are so popular that they’re served all year ’round across Japan while others are only served regionally or seasonally. Where can I buy them? These delicious Japanese sweets are usually…

I believe that everyone must be familiar with Doraemon(ドラえもん) series, be it manga , anime or both. The manga, published way back in 1969 is one of the best-selling manga series worldwide and has won many awards including the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award and has been adapted to anime series and multimedia franchise. So popular…

You’ve done it before. You’ve packed for your trip home, checked your flight times, double checked you’ve got your passport, safely reached the airport, and then suddenly remembered that one person who you haven’t got a souvenir for yet. However, it’s not too late! If you are traveling to or from Japan through Haneda Airport,…

Many people who visit Japan tend to head to the capital city of Tokyo as their first destination. While Tokyo is undoubtedly a fantastic place to visit with its impressive Tokyo Skytree, many shrines and temples, exciting events, shopping areas, and low crime rate, there are also many other great cities to visit in Japan.…

I’m sure you’ve all heard about Dotonbori (道頓堀) – the must-visit food and shopping district in Osaka (大阪). If not, don’t let the bright lights, masses of people and endless stores and eateries overwhelm you! This is a great place to explore, where you can spend the day shopping and eating, then go back the…

When one hears of Kyoto, the rich history and culture of Imperial Japan come to mind. Another thing that Kyoto is well known for is its Japanese sweets shops and cafes, with matcha or green tea as the most popular choice. This article lists some of the best sweets shops and cafes that Kyoto has…