Italy in Nagoya

The fact that Hello Kitty is actually an English cat (say what?), explains a great deal about Japanese people. The creator of this cat-icon realized how the image of foreign countries, particularly America and Europe, would sell well in Japan. This is why the creator decided that Hello Kitty was born in England (read: Japan’s [...]

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Equinox

Equinox is the day when daylight and nighttime become exactly equal. The spring equinox falls around the 21st of March, where the weather is getting warmer, although due to global warming effect, it is not actually the case this year.
The old Japanese folklore belief of worshiping the souls of ancestors was combined with the Buddhist [...]

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Sumo

There are not many countries who manage to create an identity as strong as Japan. Sakura means Japan, comics means Japan, sushi means Japan, not even mentioning all their famous brands.

Sumo – a tactical game of strength and concentration- is one of their strongest identity. Although currently almost half of the sumo wrestlers are foreigners [...]

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Hinamatsuri

As weather is getting warmer and plum trees are about to blossom, the month of March is started with a colorful festival of Hinamatsuri (dolls’s festival). Hinamatsuri fell on the 3rd of March, a special day for the girls in the family. 

Japanese families visit the temples to pray for the growth and happiness of their daughters. A set of hina dolls [...]

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