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Valentine’s Day in Japan
What is Valentine’s Day in Japan like? Is Valentine’s Day celebrated in Japan? Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14th around the world and generally people exchange candy, flowers and gifts between loved ones and special friends. Indeed, when the tradition started men gave gifts to ladies they secretly admired. The mysterious far eastern country, Japan,…
Read MoreSetsubun in Japan
Setsubun “節分” is the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar in Japan (This year it was 2nd February). On this day, we throw soybeans to Oni (demons) while shouting “Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi! (Devils out, Fortune in!)”. The Mame maki (throwing beans) and eating a whole Sushi roll (Eho-maki)…
Read MoreWinter in Hokkaido and Sapporo Snow Festival
If you are thinking about a winter trip to Japan, we highly recommend you include Hokkaido where you can have the best snow and winter experience! Hokkaido is the northern end of Japan’s island and the largest prefecture in Japan. The capital city of Hokkaido is Sapporo, and it takes just less than 2 hours…
Read MoreJapanese home cooking recipes vol.4 – Tempura
Tempura must be one of the most well-known Japanese dishes. It feels so special to sit at the counter of a tempura restaurant to watch a skilled chef frying away crisp fresh tempura in front of you. However, it is also surprisingly easy to make it at home. It is delicious and morish. Why not…
Read MoreChristmas and New Year in Japan
Hove you ever wondered how Christmas and New Year are celebrated in Japan? As the city transitions from autumn into winter, millions of colourful illuminations are displayed everywhere in Japan, turning whole country into a sparkling magical world during the Christmas season! Fresh cold air and clear winter sky, the festive season somehow makes us…
Read MoreRecommended books on Japan
As a keen traveller, you may enjoy reading up on a particular place before visiting there to get a feel for the country. It not only helps you gain the knowledge of the country and make the trip more meaningful, but also let the anticipation grow making the pre-trip preparation more enjoyable. Here are some…
Read MoreJapanese home recipes vol.3 – Karaage and Potato Salad
In this issue, I will share with you my Japanese home cooking recipes for chicken karaage and Japanese style potato salad. Chicken karaage is no doubt one of everyone’s favourite Japanese dishes. It is a popular Izakaya item and great street food. It is quite simple to make once you learn a few tricks like…
Read More2021 Food Tour of Hokkaido, Japan – tour date has changed!
Journey to the East launch a wide range of tours for the 2020 Autumn (Fall) Colours Season…
Read MoreMust-try Top 5 Street Food in Japan
On this blog, I will introduce you to must-try Top 5 Street Food dishes in Japan that can be found all year-round. There is a wide range of choices in the Japanese food scene from yatai* and izakaya style local pubs to Michelin starred restaurants. You will also be amazed by varieties of packed obento…
Read MoreJapanese home cooking recipes vol.2 – Dashi
If you are a fan of Japanese cuisine, I am sure you have heard the word dashi. Dashi is Japanese soup stock fundamental to many traditional Japanese dishes. On this blog, I talk about the different types of dashi and show you a quick and easy Japanese home recipes for dashi based master sauce. Normally…
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