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Unique Places to Visit in Japan Posted by Ginny on Nov 16, 2010
Going sightseeing in Japan is a feast for the eyes. Here are some must see places in Japan. Akihabara (秋葉原) is a great place to get electronic goods, video games, computers, anime figurines and DVDs, comic books and other items. There are some high end stores that offer the latest technological products on the market…
The Three Great Gardens of Japan Posted by Ginny on Nov 13, 2010
The Sanmeien (三名園,) are three of Japan’s famous gardens. Let’s take a look at these three gardens. Kenrokuen (兼六園) means “six attribute garden”. Some of the attributes that make this garden special are : spaciousness, seclusion, serenity and scenic subtleness. Kōrakuen (後楽園) means “garden of after -pleasure”. The daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa (池田綱政) used the garden…
Japanese Festivals in November Posted by Ginny on Nov 10, 2010
November is the time for some interesting Japanese festivals. Take a look at some of these festivals : The Onomichi Betcha Festival (尾道 ベッチャー祭り) is a festival where men dress as demons and pretend to thrash children as they walk by. It’s an old custom that traces back to a time when people believed that…
Yuki Ya Konko Posted by Ginny on Nov 7, 2010
In some parts of the world, snow will be on its way. Here’s a nice little kid’s ditty on snow! 雪やこんこ (yuki ya konko) Snow falls heavily 霰やこんこ (arare ya konko) Hail falls heavily 降っては降っては (futtewa futtewa) It’s falling and falling ずんずん積る (zunzun tsumoru) Collecting more and more 山も野原も (yama mo nohara mo) The mountains…
Architectural Wonders of Okinawa Posted by Ginny on Nov 4, 2010
Okinawa (沖縄) is the place where you can find culturally and historically significant locations for all sorts of architectural wonders. For example Tamaudun (玉陵) is a place where several important Okinawan kings, queens, princes and princesses were buried. Some of the burial items that were looted by Allied troops in 1945, but much of the…
Japanese Citrus Fruits Posted by Ginny on Nov 1, 2010
Japan is a country loaded with citrus fruits. There are just too many varieties to list them all, but here are some that you might encounter in Japan : Yuzu (ユズ) is a citrus fruit with a rough, patchy skin that can be yellow or green. Yuzu can be as sour as a grapefruit and…
Japanese Ghost Stories Posted by Ginny on Oct 28, 2010
If you’ve been looking for some classic Japanese ghost stories, try the following stories below. These stories have been told not just orally, but in films, dramas, plays and comics. Yotsuya Kaidan (四谷怪談) is a famous ghost story that has suicide, revenge, incest, love, murder, deception and betrayal. There are other characters, but the two…