Articles

Golden Week is one of the most anticipated times of the year in Japan. This annual celebration of national holidays in late April and early May is a beloved tradition that brings the country to a near standstill as people take time off work and school to travel, visit families, and enjoy the springtime.

As we approach May 5th, Japan's annual Children's Day celebration, families across the country are preparing to honor and cherish their sons. This national holiday is a time-honored tradition filled with whimsical decorations, special foods, and fun activities. Let's explore how the Japanese commemorate this special day.

We have chosen 10 great Mother's day gift ideas for you to choose from. Whether it is for first-time moms or retired moms who are enjoying more free time, we have picked perfect items for each of them. For mothers who love cooking, drinking or making coffee, you should be able to find a great gift for them.

Delicate and elegant, "Edo Kiriko" glassware is a traditional craft developed in the city of Tokyo. With special traditional techniques, each glassware is carefully hand-made by craftsmen. Discover the history and the characteristics of Edo Kiriko glassware.

From the end of April to the beginning of May, a series of Japanese national holidays clustered together and makes it one of the biggest holidays in Japan, called "Golden Week." We are receiving your orders during these holidays. However, there may be some delay in shipping or replying to your inquiries. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Many students in Japan start a new chapter in life at the beginning of April. The Japanese school year ends in March and a new year starts in April. You might wonder why in April. Here is the reason why the school year system is different in Japan.

Come in various designs, Mamezara plates are truly versatile and can be used in many different ways, as a plate for side dishes or as a decorative tray for placing small items, for example. We hope you find your favorite Mamezara plates that add colors to your life. In this article, we will talk about Mamezara plates and their designs that are considered as good luck symbols in Japan.

Yattoko pots are Japanese traditional cookware that are appreciated by chefs. Highly functional Yattoko pots are still well-appreciated today especially in restaurants where it is important to work efficiently. They also have many cooking utensils, so Yattoko pots can save storage space. Learn more about this Japanese traditional cookware "Yattoko pot" in this article.

Obanyaki is a round disc-shaped stuffed pancake made of flour, eggs and sugar (or honey) filled with sweet azuki bean paste. It's been around for approximately 250 years in Japan. It was a popular street snack enjoyed by people generation after generation. If you like sweet azuki bean paste, try this Obanyaki recipe at home.

Japanese traditional lacquerware called "shikki" has been a part of Japanese culture since approximately 9000 years ago. Japanese lacquerware is one of the oldest traditional art crafts in the world. Its rich colors and shiny appearance still seduce many people today. In this article, we will talk about shikki lacquerware, and its unique and functional characteristics that other materials, such as metals, plastics or ceramics don't possess.

In Japan where people enjoy the change of seasons throughout the year, we celebrate "Shunbun no hi (Vernal Equinox Day)" that marks the beginning of spring. Vernal equinox day is a national holiday in Japan. We celebrate ohigan that takes place three days before and after vernal equinox day. Ohigan is a time for honoring our ancestors by visiting family's graves or cleaning up our butsudan (small Buddhist altar for home) and its equipment. We also eat botamochi (ohagi), a special ohigan food. In this article, we will develop more about what ohigan is and share a botamochi recipe for you to try at home.

On March 3, we celebrate the traditional festival "Hinamatsuri" in Japan. Hinamatsuri has a long tradition of displaying beautiful dolls and enjoying delicious festival dishes. We will tell you about Hinamatsuri festival in detail and 3 foods that we typically eat during this event.

Inari sushi is prepared differently in the Kanto area (Tokyo), Kansai area (Osaka) and Tohoku area (Sendai). Be creative and enjoy different flavors of your choice. In this articleI will share the most basic Kanto-style inari sushi recipe.

Atsukan (hot sake) warms your body and is one of the wintertime pleasures of the Japanese style. The "Chirori" is a traditional sake server that brings out the flavor of sake and is perfect for enjoying Atsukan.

In Japan, there is a custom of eating Eho-maki (uncut sushi rolls for good luck) on Setsubun (the last day of winter). Setsubun, a uniquely Japanese annual event, is a big event for children to look forward to. In this article, we will introduce how to make and eat Eho-maki, a classic Setsubun dish!

If you have ever visited shops in the countryside in Japan, you have probably seen a beckoning cat at least once. It is a symbol of a thriving business, called "Maneki-neko". This adorable cat holding a gold oval coin in one hand and raising one hand is not just a decoration, it actually has special meanings. Would you like to bring good luck to your home or shop with the traditional Japanese lucky charm "Maneki-neko"?

On New Year's Day, the most special of the year's festivities in Japan, people celebrate the New Year with their families or close friends by preparing Osechi-ryori as a special event meal. Osechi-ryori is a food culture that has many different types and contents that vary from region to region. Even if it is not Japanese cuisine, it will look more authentic in a lacquered Jubako box. Why don't you spend the upcoming New Year's holiday enjoying traditional Japanese culture?

There is a custom of decorating Kagami-mochi (the rice cakes) to offer to Shinto and Buddhism during the New Year in Japan. Many households display them to celebrate the New Year. So, let's decorate "Kagami-mochi" and enjoy a Japanese-style New Year.

In Japan, "Jugoya" has been held nationwide since ancient times as a custom to love the moon. In ancient times, it was the aristocrats' pleasure to admire the moon reflected on the surface of the water or in a sake cup, but this custom eventually became popular among the general public and continues to this day.

In Japan, we have Obon Buddhist annual event to welcome our ancestors’ spirits. Commonly, companies or shops are closed during the Obon period same as Easter. Let’s focus on Obon in detail!

In Japan, people celebrate Tanabata on July 7 every year. Tanabata is one of the seasonal events and is sometimes called as “Shichiseki” (Seventh Night) or “Hoshimatsuri” (Star Festival). Today we introduce Tanabata, which is a traditional Japanese culture and its history and how to spend on that day.

“Children's Day" is celebrated all over the world and, in Japan, May 5 is the Children's Day, which is also called “Tango-no Sekku”. We will explain a habit called “Tango-no Sekku”, which is one of the traditional events in Japan.

Saitama Prefecture is one of the most famous tea growing areas in the Kanto region. The picking of new tea leaves begins in late April, and the famous product "SayamaTea" begins to be distributed in May. Here, we will introduce Sayama Tea, one of the three major teas representing Japan.

There is a traditional culture called “Hanami” in Japan. When cherry blossoms start blooming every spring, people are delighted with the arrival of spring, and at large parks and special venues for cherry blossom viewing, they enjoy eating delicious lunch boxes and drinking alcohol while watching the cherry blossoms.

There is a custom in Japan to eat “Ohagi” on the equinoctial week in spring. “Ohagi” is made by wrapping cooked glutinous rice with red bean paste. We are explaining to you how to make red bean paste and “Ohagi” step by step.

There is a special event called “White Day” on every March 14 in Japan. I introduce “White Day”, which is an event they give back the gifts to those who gave you gifts on “Valentine’s Day”.

In Japan, each season is associated with seasonal events, goods, etc., which you can find in daily life. In particular, “spring” has a positive meaning such as “new encounters or starts”, “hopes” and “expectations”. Today we are going to introduce ADERIA Sakura Tableware, which makes you feel the arrival of spring.

Mirror finishing of knives have various advantages such as increased sharpness and resistance to corrosion. Today we are going to tell you how to perform mirror finishing on knives. Today we are going to show you how to perform mirror finishing of knives.

For knives, mirror finishing not only can enhance appearance but also can increase sharpness and durability. Mirror finishing is to polish the surface until it shines and gets reflection like a mirror. Such maintenance of knives is the base of Japanese cuisine. Today we are going to tell you about the advantages of mirror finishing and the features of mirror-finished knives.

Valentine's Day is a day when people send gifts and their gratitude to their beloved ones. This custom originated from the religion of Christianity. However, Japan has its own custom for Valentine's Day. Today we are going to tell you about “Japanese style Valentine's Day”.

Japan has a custom of bean throwing on Setsubun Day (the day before the calendrical beginning of spring) to drive out evil spirits. Today we are going to tell you about Setsubun in Japan. This traditional Japanese event is very exciting and fun. Let’s give it a try to experience a Japanese culture.

In Japan, sea breams are associated with good luck and often used for special meals on celebrations for some phonetic reason. In particular, salt-crusted sea bream looks gorgeous and tastes delicious. Today we are going to tell you about its history and recipe. Let’s try cooking the special dish for the New Year!

In Japan, people eat various kinds of traditional New Year-related cuisine including Osechi and sea bream dishes, etc.Ozoni is one of Japanese traditional dishes for New Year’s. Today we are going to tell you about history of Ozoni and how to cook it. There are different styles depending on locales. Let’s experience Japanese culture for the start of New Year 2022!

Japan has a custom of eating Toshikoshi Soba (year-crossing noodles) on New Year’s Eve (“Omisoka” in Japanese). Today we are going to tell you about the reason and origin why we eat Soba at a crossover of years as well as how to make Toshikoshi Soba. Soba has unique flavor, and it is an essential food for Japanese people. Would you like to eat Toshikoshi Soba and enjoy the Japanese tradition to have a great New Year start?

In Japan, where we have 4 seasons, people tend to value the custom to use seasonal ingredients or add some seasonal taste to their cooking. Today we focus on the sense of “smell”, featuring especially “sesame”, whose season is September to October, and tell you how to grind sesame and extract its rich smell.

Candied sweet potatoes (called “Daigaku Imo”) are popular food in Japan. “Daigaku” means University and its name originated from the fact that it was popularly eaten among university students in late 1800s to early 1900s. Today we are gong to tell you a recipe of Daigaku Imo.

Rich aroma of fresh coffee fascinates people worldwide. The world of coffee is profound once you are particular about how to brew it. Today we are going to introduce a simple way to brew authentic coffee. Would you like to have a wonderful morning with hand-dripped coffee?

Today we are going to tell you how to make overnight dried fish, which has been familiar to Japanese people. Making of dried fish is more profound than expected as we need to take account into kinds of fish, concentration of salt, time for drying, etc. Let’s find your own recipe!

Tempura is a representative Japanese food. It is as renowned worldwide as other Japanese foods. However, cooking Tempura is difficult, requiring high skills. Today we are going to tell you the basics and tips for how to cook delicious Tempura. It would be wonderful if you can eat Tempura at home anytime in your life!

For Japanese people, delicious rice is a minimum requirement for satisfactory meals. However, cooking delicious rice is not that simple. Today we are going to introduce “Hario Induction Rice Cooker Casserol”, with which everyone can cook delicious rice. Would you like to enjoy fluffy and freshly cooked rice?