History

Call them myths, wive’s tales, pseudoscience, or just plain bullshit. Every country has beliefs that fly in the face of science. Take the US, with their anti-vaxxers, climate deniers and creationists. Some commonly held beliefs are less insidious, and even seem credible. For example, if you read in a poorly lit room you will go blind. You were probably a small child the first … [Read more...] about 5 Mind-Baffling Myths That Are Commonly Held in Japan

There is a common image that Japanese people love nature. In some ways that is clearly true, thankfully. However, in various important respects what happens in practice seems to go very much against that. In a world increasingly focused on sustainability and protection of the environment there is one habit in Japan which, I suggest, needs to change. I’m referring to the bad … [Read more...] about What happened to the Japanese love of nature?

We were invited to a lot of festivals recently, and we go to quite a few of them throughout the year, but the Mino Paper Lantern Festival will always have a special place in our hearts. Mino is a small town in the middle of Gifu prefecture. It’s already quite popular as a tourist destination due to its historical charm, but once a year, for the Paper Lantern Festival or … [Read more...] about The Art of Washi – The Japanese Paper Lanterns Festival