Second Chance Doll Festival in Shichinohe
Ever since coming to Japan I had always wanted to see the real dolls of the ‘Hinamatsuri’ (Girl’s Day/Doll’s Festival). Hinamatsuri is typically celebrated on March 3rd every year in[...]
English
Study Japanese Culture with Sparrows
If you make plans to travel to Sendai in May ~ July, it will be one of the best life choices you’ve made. Why? Because it is at exactly this time that Sendai is at its most picturesque and effer[...]
Kanahebisui Shrine: Get Rich with Snakes and Nine-headed Dragons
Kanahebisui-jinja (金蛇水神社; or Golden Snake Shrine) is located in the Southern part of Miyagi Prefecture. The name of the shrine is represented by the three Kanji characters 金 (kin/kane; meaning gold or[...]
Chasing the “Flying Witch” in Hirosaki
In the Spring of 2016, an apprentice witch, Makato, moved to Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture of the Tohoku region in Japan. Since then she has lived and traveled to many places around A[...]
Meet a real Maiko: Kyoto culture in Yamagata
For many visitors to Japan, one of the most coveted cultural experiences is meeting a ‘Geisha’ (also ‘Geiko’ depending on the region) or an apprentice ‘Maiko’. For [...]
Birdwatching at Sendai’s Hirose River
Hirose-gawa or the Hirose River that flows through Sendai is deemed by many as a multi-purpose river. Even since the time of Date Masamune, the samurai lord and founder of Sendai, the river has played[...]
A cherry good time in Yamagata!
The cherry blossoms may have fallen from the trees, but there’s no need to feel sad – the best is yet to come…after flowers comes fruit!! With summer just around the corner, fruit or[...]
Budget Travel Tohoku: Matsushima is Priceless
Don’t worry, you are not alone!! I also shared this first impression and I guess a lot of foreign visitors find themselves wondering the same thing. However, there are many clever ways to travel[...]
Endless Summer in the Snow
Moving to Tohoku from the mild climate of Australia, I was NOT ready for the winter. I brought all the right clothing and shoes to keep me warm, but no amount of physical or mental preparation had a h[...]
Cartoons and Cats: Otaku Heaven in Ishinomaki
My first interaction with Japanese culture was when watching animated TV series like ‘Kamen Rider’ and reading Manga (Japanese comics) when I was a kid. Who’d have thought I would gr[...]