Discoveries from around the archipelago
Ahhh, Girls' Day. The older my daughter gets, the more I love this holiday. And truth be told, the longer she's in school, the more cultural tidbits I get to pick up as well. In last year's post, I wrote mostly about the tradition of putting up Hina Dolls in one's house (but only if... Continue Reading →
Today is a holiday in Japan, but not that you'd really notice. And frankly, given Japan's somewhat inglorious history in the first half of the 20th century, that may be entirely by design. Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen no Hi) makes no secret of what it celebrates - the foundation of the nation of Japan and the... Continue Reading →
It's a quiet day in the Uncovering Japan house today, as I'm still recovering from the eventful weekend. Between a 4th birthday party for my daughter and a day trip to Kurokawa Onsen (as per the birthday kid's request), I am rather enjoying a mellow Monday. But as it's also Seijin no Hi (Coming of Age... Continue Reading →
Akemashite Omedetou, everyone ... Happy New Year! Did you all make it to midnight in your respective time zones? We did, though not by design. (I had done laundry earlier and the sheets still needed time to dry. Oops.) New Year's is starting to wind down here for my family at least. We did partake... Continue Reading →
Yoi otoshi o, faithful readers! I wish you all a wonderful New Year! My family and I just got back from a snowy break in Tochigi Prefecture - did you see the pics on facebook? That snow was deep! I think Yunishigawa Onsen is my new favorite off-the-beaten-track destination. We're back now and gearing up... Continue Reading →
Despite my longing for the colors of autumn, winter is upon us. Like clockwork, the calendar switched to December 1st and the temperature here dropped to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That's cold for Kyushu! But it gets me in the holiday spirit, as did my bonenkai today. What's a bonenkai? In case you missed my... Continue Reading →
Well, my fellow Americans, you are probably just as confused as I am about the upcoming Japanese holiday on November 23rd. For us, Labor Day was celebrated back in early September. And you're probably all currently searching pinterest for the perfect turkey recipe for next Thursday's Thanksgiving feast. So what's the deal with this dual... Continue Reading →
As you read this, I am probably recovering from a wet and rainy weekend on the Kumano Kodo, the old pilgrimage path on the Kii Peninsula (Wakayama Prefecture, south of Osaka). Last year, I read that Culture Day is statistically one of the sunniest days of the year. This year it more than made up for... Continue Reading →
Sports Day is coming up on Monday (October 13th) but in a sense, I have already missed it this year. My daughter's preschool held their annual Sports Day celebration the day after we returned from the US. We could have attended but since she missed the month of practices beforehand (and jet lag was still... Continue Reading →
