Is Christmas a national holiday in Japan ?Do Japanese celebrate Christmas and how ?  Christmas (クリスマス) is not a national holiday in Japan, but it is widely celebrated in a unique way. Unlike in Western countries, Christmas in Japan is more about festive gatherings and romantic gestures than traditional religious customs. Christmas Eve, in particular, […]

On February 2nd, Shinjuku Japanese Language Insitute celebrated Setsubun a day early. Teachers explained the significance of Setsubun in each class and distributed beans. Suddenly, to everyone’s surprise, a demon appeared in the classroom! Amid rising tension, the students faced the imminent threat by shouting loudly, “Out with the demon, in with good fortune!” They […]

Rainy season occurs from the end of May to the end of July in Japan. It sometimes amount to a quarter of the annual rainfall and is dreaded by many. Unpredictable weather, rising heat and humidity… Many people may think it’s wiser to avoid going to Japan during that period of time. However, rainy season […]

Every autumn (秋), Japan gets the chance to showcase its famous red maple leaves. This phenomenon can be expressed by two different words: momiji and kouyou. Even though they are written with the same characters, 紅葉, they describe two distinct things. Momiji refers to the maple leaves covered with red at that time of the […]

A matsuri is a traditional festival which celebrates Japanese deities through dances, shows, parades and processions. This religious festival most of the time comes with yatai, games and drinks and take a very lively turn. Matsuri are organised all year round and all over Japan. What’s a matsuri? In English, matsuri (祭り) is most of […]

With more than 600 different species of cherry trees, Japan is internationally known for its sakura season. This very special time of the year attracts not only locals but also many visitors coming from all over the globe. One key word during that season: hanami (花見) which combines the kanjis for “flower” and “look”. This […]

In Japan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in two stages. The first one, on February 14, where women buy chocolates for the men in their surroundings. These chocolates can have various objectives and meanings: some of them are used to confess one’s love (本命チョコ, honmei-choko) while others (義理チョコ, giri-choko) are kind of an obligation and most […]

Just as many other countries in the world, the period of time around New Year is very important in Japan. In a sense, it has the same sentimental and traditional value as Christmas in western countries. After introducing useful Japanese phrases used during New Year, we’re taking you on a Japanese New Year traditions tour […]

Have you ever heard of “Awaodori”? This traditional dance’s name is made of two words “Awa” (Tokushima prefecture’s former name) and “odori” (dance). It’s sometimes called “Dance of Fools” and is usually celebrated during “Obon” (Festival of the Dead) in Japan, which generally takes place in July and August every year. [getpage file=”wordpress-shortcode/whitepaper-modal.html”] Awaodori: The […]

In Japan, New Year usually starts off by paying a visit to the shrine (or temple dedicated to someone or something), to pray for good fortune. Most people only go to one shrine, but those who want to ensure good luck for the upcoming year can visit more than one… And the Shichifukujin pilgrimage is […]