Kyoto

Seijin Hi: Coming of Age Day in Japan

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 06:17:36 +0000

Yesterday (January 14) was a national holiday in Japan. It was Coming of Age Day. On this day, all 20-year-olds celebrate the fact that they are officially a part of the adult community. It is...

Relaxing Ryokan

Anonymous — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:35:18 +0000

My husband had his best sleep ever in our ryokan in Japan.

Japanese Food

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Apr 2001 18:53:32 +0000

I've been a vegetarian for about 20 years. I think that this choice has forced me to be more adventurous than most Americans when it comes to what I eat. I have a certain amount of pride in the fact...

Wavers

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Dec 2001 02:22:20 +0000

When a person first arrives in Japan there are many things of course that seem strange and different. Aside from the language difference, I think the most striking difference is the attitude of...

Living A Charmed Life: An Interview with Kyoto English Teacher Frank Lev

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Jan 2001 14:29:30 +0000

As the sun rises over Japan each morning and casts its rays upon the enchanted city of Kyoto, Frank Lev 's day has already begun. The sunrise finds him deep in meditation before his workday activities...

The Year of the Snake

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Apr 2001 01:55:26 +0000

I was walking in the woods near my house when I saw an attractive woman walking her dog. Eager to practice my Japanese, I tried to say something like this, "Oh what a pretty dog you have!" I was...

Mikimoto Island

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2001 15:25:44 +0000

I have a small confession to make. Sometimes I steal things. While my stealing is petty and doesn't hurt anyone, still it is wrong. And yet sometimes I do it. I think I do it when I feel lonely,...

The Public Baths

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2001 01:19:21 +0000

On Sunday a few weeks ago, I went to the sento (public baths) here for the first time. Maybe you've heard that Japanese are real big on baths and keeping clean. I was amazed at what I saw. Each...

Cleanliness

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Nov 2001 04:29:38 +0000

Japanese culture is one that is obsessed with cleanliness. This can be seen from the important custom of taking off one's shoes before entering a house, to the vacuum cleaners that they have designed...

SENTO - Oasis of Everyday Life in Japan: An Interview with Photographer Markuz Wernli

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 21:37:55 +0000

Photography helps me to record and share the small daily wonders and insignificant visual sensations that I am privileged to witness ? the precious, short moments when life suddenly comes to a halt.

Ichimame. Apprentice geisha.

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:06:59 +0000

Correspondent Daniel Rook meets trainee geisha Ichimame whose Internet blog is giving a rare insight into a secretive world and providing inspiration for teenagers thinking about following in her footsteps - becoming a geisha.

Happy Birthday Buddha

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Sep 2001 02:49:34 +0000

Monday, May 7th was an amazing day for me. It was Buddha's birthday, and it started out in an amazing way. I had seen the begging monks before. They wore long black robes and wooden sandals. On each...

Sakura

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Jul 2001 06:40:18 +0000

Kyoto is a great city for bike riding. It is a big flat valley scooped out between small rugged mountains. There is only one hill in Kyoto and I live on top of it. Two thirds up it to be more precise.

Dead Man's Shoes

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Mar 2001 09:09:47 +0000

It all started because well, I'm what some people would call thrifty and what most would call cheap. But actually I'm neither. I think of myself as a scavenger. I love to find things, anything and...

Rice Paddy

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Sep 2001 00:51:40 +0000

Rice is a very important part of life in Japan. It is serves as the foundation of every meal. The Japanese word for "meal" is the same as the word for "rice", "gohan". But it's more than that. It...