Learn some cool things about Japan!
It’s a New Year all-around the world, and people are celebrating a new start in their own traditional ways. In Japan, one of the popular New Year traditions is “Hatsumode”, which is the first shrine visit of the New Year. People flock to their favorite Shinto shrine, such as Meiji Jingu or Asakusa…
Today, I wanted to talk about the top 5 most unique and special swords in Japanese history. The Tenka-Goken or “Five Swords Under Heaven”. These five swords are considered to be in a class of their own. Three are National Treasures of Japan, one is an Imperial Property, and one is a holy relic of…
Hello everyone! I know its been a little while since we have made blog posts, but we have been busy thinking of some great ideas for you. And to show you what we mean, please take a look at our latest video, which is a brief video history of Japanese Katana! We hope you enjoy!…
If you have ever lived in Japan—and are of dating age—then you have likely been asked what your blood-type is. This may sound strange to most foreigners, but it is actually a very common way for Japanese people to determine whether you would be compatible with each other. In Japan, a person’s ABO blood type or “ketsueki-gata” (血液型) is believed…
Recently, as I was talking to one of my Japanese friends and waiting for a flight, we needed to figure out how to pass the time. She decided that we should play “Shiritori”, a popular Japanese game. Shiritori (しりとり) is a Japanese word game in which the players are required to say a word which begins with the final kana of the…
Recently, the Resona Bank and Saitama Resona Bank announced that by the end of March 2019, customers will be able to open deposit accounts and perform other banking functions without the use of their “hanko”. But what is a “hanko”? Hanko A hanko is a seal used in Japan, which is the same as your…
At this year’s Niconico Chokaigi 2016, one of the activities for the attendees was a game of Janken with a robot. There was a very long line for the game, and it reminded us of just how immensely popular this game is in Japan. Janken (じゃん拳 janken) is the Japanese version of Rock-Paper-Scissors, but it is much more…
