If you're in the vicinity of Shin Pond in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, this weekend, don't be alarmed if you're suddenly surrounded by a mischievous gang of goofballs. It's all part of the Hyoge Matsuri, a festival that is held in memory of a samurai named ...

There are plenty of opportunities for people in Japan to interact with Chinese culture, from visiting panda cub Xiang Xiang at the Ueno Zoo to dining out in Yokohama's Chinatown. An event in Yoyogi Park this weekend offers another opportunity. One of the main highlights ...

This weekend a series of ceremonies will take place at the kamisha (upper shrine) of Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The main draw will be three choreographic rituals on the 16th. Leading off with the Dance of Bow and the Dance of ...

Chants of "wasshoi" and "soiya" are often heard at Japanese festivals, but at the annual Akutai Festival they're replaced with cuss words. Akutai translates as "abusive language" in English and according to lore, the festival in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, began during the middle of the ...

Jan. 17-March 12 Registered in 1998 as a World Heritage Site, Kasuga Grand Shrine was built in the eighth century as a prayer offering for the protection of Heijokyo, (the capital of Japan, 710-784) and for the prosperity of its people. The Tokyo National Museum ...

Jan. 21-May 7 American artist Elizabeth Peyton gained much acclaim for her prints, paintings and sketches during the early 1990s, but it is her portraiture of close friends, historical figures and icons that she is particularly noted for. She has been lauded for her stylized, ...

Jan. 14-April 2 We now live in society of hyperconnectivity, with networks of information and systems that virtually invade all aspects of our lives. With so many seeing so much of what we say, do and think, some believe contemporary society can stifle our imagination ...

Jan. 14-April 9 Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927) was one of the leading artisans of cloisonne, a popular artistic export during the Meiji Era (1868-1912), whose vases and vessels featured meticulous wire work and richly colored seasonal motifs. He was particularly well known for his attention to ...

Jan. 13-March 26 Having trained under Issey Miyake and Shiro Kuramata, Tokujin Yoshioka has since designed for a wide range of genres, creating minimalist cell phones, transparent watches, unusual interior displays, and architecture and more. Fascinated by the properties and behavior of light since 2002, ...

Jan. 14-March 20 Finnish art is renowned for its simplicity, bright patterns and an aesthetic that respects nature and encourages a harmonious relationship with it. This year is the centennial of Finland's independence, and the Fukuoka City Museum will be the first of several museums ...