Halloween was not over until the Christmas decorations started to pop up in stores and windows. My son was very happy when he saw the first Christmas tree of the season on the counter of a cake shop in the local shopping mall and started to talk about putting up decorations at home as well. […]
An integral part life in Japan is obento, Japanese lunch boxes (or just bento with the o being there only for politeness). Bento is simply put a proper meal with rice or noodles and fish or meat and vegetables and other Japanese foody necessities, all packaged in a box. Bento lunch boxes are for many
Every time I take the bicycle to the kindergarten to drop off or pick up my son, we stop by the biggish pond on our way. There are a lot of lotus growing there, and hiding among them are carp fish. We park the bike by the fence, and each time there are carps coming
Here comes the alphabet rain, said my son one day when we were playing. It was raining outside and we had just finished a board game where you roll the dice and go around looking for letters that you need to create the words you have on the game tile in front of you. The
A big patch of rain passed by and left behind 15 degrees lower temperatures. Suddenly, I found myself turning off the air conditioner, finding the long sleeved pajamas from my son, and having cold feet in the literal sense for the first time in many many months. Of course, with a rapid change in weather
The final day of our recent trip to Oita prefecture in Kyushu, I got the chance to go and experience what I have come to really love in Japan – nature, culture, religion blended in beauty and harmony. The history of buddhism and shintoism in this particular corner of Japan is so interesting, I had
One thing I love about Japan are the many public holidays that are scattered around the year. That there is very little proper vacation I am not so fond of however, so when there was a chance in September to have a long weekend, we thought it was a good idea to do a little
A short little post to celebrate a short little line of poetry found everywhere in Japan. 写真はイメージです。You can find “写真はイメージです。” written on a package of yoghurt, on menus at restaurants, in magazines and on advertisement boards just to name a small selection of places where you can enjoy the simple but beautiful sentence stating something
Even though it has been a very hot summer, we have been trying to do a lot of fun’s things during this year’s summer holiday. Since 35 degrees and sun is not well suited for outdoor play in the park, we have explored fun activities appropriate for a hot summer. Thus we have visited the
When typhoon number 10 of this year, or Shanshan as it is called, approached Kyushu the other day, the anticipated trajectory would put us close to its path and as the typhoon grew in strength, businesses and the city government prepared for its arrival. And so did we. Many shops and medical clinics contacted its
Every now and then, my son and I try our hand on cooking something new. Japanese gyoza dumplings are a favorite of my son’s. We normally buy frozen vegetable and minced meat gyoza at the grocery store. They are pre-made so we only need to fry them, but there is something about making things from
Japan during summer is hot and humid and sweaty. To say the least. Cool drinks and air conditioning feel essential for being comfortable. It would have been nice with a cool shower every now and then as well, but that is a little more tricky – during summer in Japan the hot water use is close