Living in Osaka, I became well-acquainted with one of the region’s specialties– okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). We’d often eat this for lunch and dinner whether at home with my host family or when out with friends. Like a pancake of sorts, okonomiyaki is made from batter mixed with cabbage. Sure, that might not sound all that exciting (or tasty), but […]
Anime Central (or ACen as local con-goers call it) is the Midwest’s largest anime and manga convention. Taking place one weekend a year in Chicago, typically in May, its 30,000+ attendees puts it in the top three anime conventions in North America. Sure, I haven’t watched an anime series in almost three years and I can’t even […]
Living in Osaka, I became well-acquainted with one of the region’s specialties– okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). We’d often eat this for lunch and dinner whether at home with my host family or when out with friends. Like a pancake of sorts, okonomiyaki is made from batter mixed with cabbage. Sure, that might not sound all that exciting (or tasty), but […]
People often ask me about buying kimono in Japan, and as much as it makes me cringe, who can blame them? A quick Google search proves it’s one of the most popular questions asked by tourists about to embark on their first adventure to Japan. So do you want to buy a kimono in Japan? Probably not. […]
Although it no longer has the word “prefecture” in it’s name, the Tokyo Metropolis (東京都; Tokyo-to) is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is part of the Kanto Region (関東地方; Kanto-chiho) on Honshu, the main island of Japan. While most people think of Tokyo as a city, it’s actually not. In the 1940s they merged what was then considered Tokyo City […]
San Francisco is filled with Asian culture from the city’s authentic Chinatown to its expansive Asian Art Museum. While yes, many cities in the US have a Chinatown of some sort, San Francisco is one of the few cities to have a designated Japantown, one of three cities to be exact. Today Nihonmachi (日本町), literally meaning “Japantown”, is located near the […]
Kyoto Prefecture (京都府; Kyoto-fu) is part of the Kansai Region (関西地方; Kansai-chiho) on Honshu, the main island of Japan. For most of history, Kyoto played an important role as Japan’s capital. As you can imagine, being the capital for over a thousand years means Kyoto is filled with ancient artifacts and cultural treasures. Once the government head moved to Tokyo, Kyoto’s economy became […]
Christmas may not be a national holiday in Japan, but that doesn’t mean people won’t be celebrating! Only around 1% of Japanese people consider themselves Christian, so to most Japanese, Christmas is celebrated more like a Valentine’s Day of sorts, with young couples or groups of friends going on strolls through fancy displays of holiday decorations and […]
Osaka Prefecture (大阪府; Osaka-fu) is part of the Kansai Region (関西地方; Kansai-chiho) on Honshu, the main island of Japan. Despite being one of the smallest prefectures area-wise, it boasts an impressive amount of cities. Thirty-three to be exact; with the most famous being it’s capital city of the same name– Osaka. Daitō Fujiidera Habikino Hannan Higashiōsaka Hirakata Ibaraki Ikeda Izumi Izumiōtsu Izumisano […]
Located in the middle of Japan, the Kansai region includes of two of the country’s most visited cities: Kyoto and Osaka. Kyoto is a city steeped with Japanese culture and history. This previous capital city is known for its shrines and temples as there is almost one on every corner– with 17 of them being registered UNESCO Heritage […]