In Japan, at the heart of nearly every plan, at the core of just about any event, ceremony or excursion- there is…… EATING. No matter how solemn or raucus the ancient rite or how exquisite, refined or interesting the art, music , nature or history encountered, it is THE FOOD which is looked forward to, savored, photographed, and afterward, remembered and spoken of.
This is reflected in an old [...]
Being a parent involves almost constant concern over children`s health and development. Even in these days of relatively advanced medical science and easilly accessible health care, parents sigh in relief at the passing of each flu season and each epidemic scare. It is hard to imagine what is must have been like in past ages.
That it why [...]
Though the air is still brisk , it is filled with the fragrance of spring. Especially the sweet perfume of the numerous plum trees which are now bursting into bloom throughout Tsukuba ( and the rest of the Kanto Area). The UGUISU ( bush warblers), those little, hard to spot birds whose call has long been the traditional symbol [...]
Shopping for White Day in Tsukuba
The Japanese calendar of annual events has gone through many changes over the centuries, with certain customs variously having been added, forgotten, or transformed into something unrecognizably different from what they started out as. And while the origins and evolution of many of Japan’s most famous NENCHUGYOJI (年中行事、traditional annual [...]
FOR A WOMAN`S HOUR OF GREATEST NEED, A CALL TO MAN`S BEST FRIEND
Sticks and stones standing at the fork in the road. Many pass by them every day. Most do not notice. I have spoken to very few who do. For me, however, the large, roughly-hewn Y-shaped sticks, leaning up against the gray, grainy, gravestone-like [...]
tsukubans speak