We’re in June now, and that means summer is around the corner. We have a bit of a reprieve at the moment with the advent of rainy season this week (the humidity is luckily taking a backseat at the moment), but come July, the heat will be on … and pretty unbearable, in my opinion! Continue reading
Happy Hina Matsuri! This early spring holiday is one of my favorites in Japan, probably due to the fact that I have my own daughter, for whom we long ago purchased our family’s very first set of Hina dolls. Five years later, we now own a few small sets (I told you, I really like this … Continue reading
Happy Setsubun, readers! Today is the unofficial start of spring here in Japan, a day that is heralded with demon asks and copious bean throwing. I have written about Setsubun before, and indeed spent part of my afternoon attending the bean throwing festivities at Asakusa’s Senso-ji Temple. But before that, I also made a trip out … Continue reading
Most people rave about Japan’s summer festivals (and admittedly, there are some spectacular ones) but being rather partial to the cooler weather, I am a fan of the nation’s autumn festivals. Both Kumamoto and Okinawa had some exciting ones (massive tug of war, anyone?) but my favorite will always be the Karatsu Kunchi in Karatsu, … Continue reading
The leaves may not be turning until November, but Kumamoto likes to kick off the autumn early with the five-day fall festival at the city’s Fujisaki Hachiman Shrine. While the weather may still be a tad on the warm side, who doesn’t love dancing, drumming and … drunken horses??? Continue reading
Whew, I’ve been neglecting the blog quite a bit as of late. The move to Tokyo went as well as could be expected but with the lack of furniture following quickly after, we high-tailed it to Tohoku late last week to escape some of the heat and see some of the summer festivals. I’m still … Continue reading
