Hiroko Matsuyama
Torii Gate of Suwa Shrine in Nishi-Waseda, Tokyo, Japan We have 13 types of Shinto shrines in Japan. Each has different belief and deities. With a deeper understanding of many types of Shinto Shrine gives you different...
Significance of Selecting Japanese Family Crests aka Kamon
‘Mu’ Kamon Kamon, Japanese family crests, were first painted on palanquins, clothing, and camp curtains to mark the family name. The kamon on camp curtains and other items were clearly structured and easily...
Origins of the Japanese Family Crest: Court Nobles and Samurai
Wisteria Tomoe Crest Japanese family crest has various theories about its origin. But since the origins of crests differ between court nobles and samurai families, let us begin with the origin of the crests of court...
Japanese Honorific Suffix: “San”, “Sama”, “Kun”, and “Chan”
The Japanese honorific suffix is something you learn first and use every day when you learn Japanese. They can be confusing, it’s easy to learn the basics. They reflect the Japanese culture and knowing and using...
Japanese Surnames: Top 10 Ranking, Origin, and its Meanings
Japanese surnames are known for their wide varieties and origins. Many of them are derived from the name of places, geographic features, and occupations. Knowing their origin and history of them makes you feel more...
Bancha – Extra Japanese Green Tea: Benefits and Where to Buy
Bancha is something Japanese grabs it for a break to relax or drink it over the meal. This “extra” Japanese green tea would be ideal for any casual setting. Japanese Green Tea: 13 Types, Benefits, and When...
Japanese Green Tea: 13 Types, Benefits, and When to Drink
Image by rawpixel from Pixabay Japanese green tea has a wide variety and each has a unique, different flavor and taste. We’ve covered common types and what time would be best to drink them. We hope this would give...
Sencha Green Tea Benefits/Side Effects and Where You Can Buy
Photo by Christine Wehrmeier on Unsplash The Sencha green tea is a type of green teas as the name suggests, which aren’t fermented and therefore it keeps its fresh green color that is cultivated with a lot of...
Organic Matcha 7 Tea Benefits and Where You Can Buy
Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash Since you seek the best organic, we assume you know the difference between usual Japanese green tea powder and matcha powder. In case you don’t have a clear idea, let us...
Matcha Tea Set: Best Starter Kit and How to Prepare Matcha
Image by dungthuyvunguyen from Pixabay We assume you are a matcha lover and want to make a cup of matcha yourself. We’re glad to share the tools that make up a matcha tea set and techniques you need to start...
7 Health Benefits of Genmaicha and When to Drink
Genmaicha is a hybrid of brown rice and Japanese green tea, so to speak. To give you a little more detail, it’s a Japanese tea mixed with roasted steamed brown rice and Japanese green tea (Bancha or Sencha). This...
Where to Buy Best Matcha? 5 Established Matcha Stores in Japan
Where to buy best matcha, you wonder? I assume you must be a lover. So am I. There are not a few Japanese tea stores in Tokyo and Kyoto, where you can buy matcha, but not many stores have English speaking clerks. The...
400+ Simple Japanese Words
Simple Japanese words you see in this post assure you to have a smooth conversation with Japanese natives. We’ve listed them up by categories, so you can easily find the suitable words for each situation you would...
Basic Japanese Conversation: Practical Expressions
Basic Japanese conversation phrases can make you go through most of the situation in Japan. Once you learn expressions we’ve listed up here, you would find yourself handling situations at ease. Being a good...
60+ Useful Japanese Phrases
Useful Japanese phrases can make you feel closer to the Japanese natives. You might already know basic words and want to know some useful phrases in the next step. Fine! You’ve come to the right place. You can...
200+ Common Japanese Words
Wanna know some common Japanese words to grasp an image of the Japanese language? We have picked 200+ common Japanese words that include nouns and conjunctions you can use right away in conversation. You don’t...
Kamon the Avant-garde: Interview with Japanese Family Crest Artisans
Kamon: There’s a thousand-year tradition that the Japanese pass their family crests from generation to generation. The family crest is called “Kamon” in Japanese, which could be seen everywhere in...
Best Tokyo Food Tour 2017: Where Real Japanese Go
We returned to Japan after two years of absence which is long enough for us to long for our families and friends. But we have to admit what we’ve been missing the most, the food. We will share only the best...
