History

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Though there’s hardly any symbol more associated with Japan than the ethereal cherry blossoms, it was actually an Englishman who is directly responsible for the plethora of Cherry Blossom Trees we have in Japan today. AT THE TIME, GROWING MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FLOWERING CHERRY BECAME A TREASONABLE OFFENCE IN JAPAN While the whole … [Read more...] about How an Englishman saved Japan’s Cherry-Blossoms

A detailed analysis of the Japanese used in Street Fighter II It was in February 1991 when Street Fighter II: The World Warrior was released by Capcom in Japan. It was a follow-up to the original Street Fighter, and the first one-on-one fighting game to give players a choice from a variety of player characters, an option which created hitherto unknown levels of depth and … [Read more...] about What is the meaning of Hadouken

Shinjiro Torii – A name you may, or may not have heard before; in case you haven’t, he is hailed as a true visionary, and was the man responsible for putting Japan on the map for good Whisky, all the way back in 1923. It’s been a long journey for Japanese Whisky since those early days.  Today, Japan makes some of the best Whisky in the world, and the name Suntory is as … [Read more...] about Visiting Japan’s oldest Whisky Distillery

Greetings from Anime North, the biggest anime and Japanese culture convention in Canada! We were on the ground in Toronto with seiyuu (voice actor) guest Junko Iwao, a veteran in the industry best known for her role as the voice of Tomoyo Daidouji from the classic magical girl anime, Card Captor Sakura. Sitting in on her Friday evening Q&A panel with fans, and again on … [Read more...] about Junko Iwao at Anime North 2018

For those who have never heard the word, Iaido is a Japanese martial art which trains you, in both body and mind, how to properly use a Katana for self-defense. Despite the world-wide popularity of the iconic Japanese sword, Iaido is one of the lesser known Japanese martial arts, often lumped together with Kendo or even misheard as Aikido by unfamiliar listeners (yes, even in … [Read more...] about Iaido–The Ancient Art of Swordsmanship Entering a New Age