The Smile From Japan Journal
Tanabata: Japan's Star Festival and the Wishes ...
July 2026 There is a night in early July when Japan looks up. Bamboo branches appear outside homes, shopping arcades, and train stations, hung with strips of colourful paper swaying...
Tanabata: Japan's Star Festival and the Wishes ...
July 2026 There is a night in early July when Japan looks up. Bamboo branches appear outside homes, shopping arcades, and train stations, hung with strips of colourful paper swaying...
Ajisai Season in Japan: The Rainy Season Flower...
June 2026 There is a kind of beauty that only appears in the rain. In June, when the tsuyu — Japan's rainy season — settles over the country like a...
Ajisai Season in Japan: The Rainy Season Flower...
June 2026 There is a kind of beauty that only appears in the rain. In June, when the tsuyu — Japan's rainy season — settles over the country like a...
Golden Week in Japan: Traditions, Travel, and W...
Golden Week is one of the most exciting times of the year in Japan. From late April to early May, a series of national holidays come together to create a...
Golden Week in Japan: Traditions, Travel, and W...
Golden Week is one of the most exciting times of the year in Japan. From late April to early May, a series of national holidays come together to create a...
Japanese Spring Foods: What Japan Eats When the...
Spring in Japan is not just something you see. It is something you taste. From the first sakura petals in late March through the golden warmth of Golden Week in...
Japanese Spring Foods: What Japan Eats When the...
Spring in Japan is not just something you see. It is something you taste. From the first sakura petals in late March through the golden warmth of Golden Week in...
Sakura Season in Japan: Everything You Need to ...
There is a moment in late March or early April when Japan transforms. Almost overnight, the bare branches of cherry trees burst into clouds of pale pink. Streets that were...
Sakura Season in Japan: Everything You Need to ...
There is a moment in late March or early April when Japan transforms. Almost overnight, the bare branches of cherry trees burst into clouds of pale pink. Streets that were...
Japanese Kamon: The Beautiful Family Crests Tha...
If you have ever noticed a simple, elegant symbol on a Japanese kimono, a temple gate, or a traditional lantern — you may have been looking at a kamon. These...
Japanese Kamon: The Beautiful Family Crests Tha...
If you have ever noticed a simple, elegant symbol on a Japanese kimono, a temple gate, or a traditional lantern — you may have been looking at a kamon. These...