Lucky food, charming decorations, visiting deities: welcoming the new year with history, tradition
Wearing kimono, getting together with family and friends, and not working for the first three days of a new year. Shogatsu, or New Year's, is when Japanese generally work less than the rest of the world. It is also the time to follow long-standing traditions ...
Blending old and new for New Year's
Thanks to the calendar this year, many people can have a long holiday, so many will be heading out of Tokyo on vacation. But if you're staying in the capital, there will be enough events at the beginning of the year to get you ...
History overshadows present, future Japan-China relations
Can Japan and China find a way to reduce the risk of conflict, and prevent continuing hostilities that could last decades? Can they peacefully coexist in the new era when they are both great powers?
Umami magic: Japan's dashi ingredients win global fans
From French bouillon to Chinese soup stocks, broths made from long hours of simmering are common in many cuisines. But one as abundant in umami taste as the dashi broth, made instantly from briefly soaking or heating simple ingredients like dried bonito and kelp, ...
Aging Kamiyama hopes to rejuvenate with IT startups
After a long, fruitless search for a new business base, entrepreneur Tetsu Sumita found himself lured by the unique appeal of a little-known remote town in western Japan nearly two years ago. And it did not take much time for him to launch a venture ...
Combining best of East and West diets to enhance longevity
Many people attribute longevity in Japan to the traditional Japanese diet. Yet even a balanced Japanese meal, full of health-enhancing elements such as taurine, magnesium and isoflavones, typically has two major flaws: too much salt and too little calcium, which can lead to stroke ...
