Toward the end of December each year, the North Pole tilts farthest from the sun, marking the shortest day and longest night and turning into a celestial moment we know as the winter solstice.

Discover why eating KFC on Christmas has become a beloved tradition in Japan. Learn how a clever 1970s marketing campaign, cultural influences, and festive holiday menus!

If you ever get invited to a wedding in Japan, there might be some words and terms that are good to know before you attend.

With temperatures dropping and the chilly winter months quickly approaching us, what better way to stay nice and toasty than to savor some comforting food? If you’re in Japan, there is no shortage of mouth-watering options to choose from when selecting a tasty meal to warm your stomach during the winter months. In our list […]

You may be surprised to hear Japan has its holiday for both Labor Day and Thanksgiving. In fact, they are actually celebrated on the same day, on November 23. Known as Labor Thanksgiving Day or 勤労感謝の日 (Kinrou Kansha no hi), it is used to commemorate people’s hard work and was established by the Japanese government […]

One of the most surprising things about getting a hot bowl of ramen in Japan is that you often have to order from a vending machine. Most ramen specialty stores have you select and pay for your choice of ramen at a vending machine, or rather a meal ticket machine called 食券機 (shokkenki) in Japanese. […]

Japanese horror are not just cheap thrills but are some of the most influential movies ever made from Godzilla to cinematic masterpieces.

Anime, for many of us, holds a special place in our hearts, whether it’s because of the moving stories, the characters, or the incredible songs. The music score in anime is a big part of what makes these stories deeply moving. For instance, whenever we think of Ghibli, we inadvertently associate every work with its […]

Long before the anime craze, manga boom, or iconic games developed by Nintendo, Japanese people, like the rest of the world, enjoyed traditional games as a primary form of entertainment.

If you’ve spent any amount of time in Japan, you’ve probably noticed that point cards are everywhere. Almost every shop, big or small, has its own point card system.