Onsen Tamago: Japanese Soft Boiled Egg Recipe
If you have a chance to take a trip to a hot spring resort in Japan, you may see hen’s shell eggs placed under the spring water. Onsen Tamago (温泉卵) Those eggs are called...
Category: Culture
The Meaning of New Year’s Otoshidama Money
Happy New Year! Oshogatsu (お正月) has finally come! Speaking of Oshogatsu, have you ever heard, in Japan, there is a traditional custom of giving children a new year’s gift of money during the first...
Oyatsu vs. Okashi: What’s the Difference in Meaning?
As you might already know, there are three Japanese words for confectionery (snacks, sweets, and candies), and they are Wagashi (和菓子), Okashi (お菓子), and Dagashi (駄菓子). As I explained before, Wagashi refers to traditional...
Miki and Toso: Traditional Sake for Celebration Times
As you know, “Sake (酒)” is a quintessential Japanese alcoholic beverage that is widely enjoyed in many countries around the world, and in Japan, it’s said that there are over 1,400 sake breweries and...
Koyo vs. Momiji vs. Kaede Fall Leaves
Autumn foliage is at its best from November to early December in Kyoto, Japan’s most popular Koyo viewing spot. The fall leaves with red and yellow colors are referred to as Koyo in Japanese, and...
The Difference: Otera (Temple) vs. Jinja (Shrine)
If you plan to stroll around a city in Japan, you will probably see two types of sacred spots there. One is the Otera (お寺) temple, and the other is the Jinja (神社) shrine,...
Sho Chiku Bai: Meaning of Japanese Shochikubai
When describing auspicious things, we Japanese often use the compound term composed of 3 separate words, Sho Chiku Bai (松竹梅). Shochikubai has the literal meaning of pine (Sho: 松), bamboo (Chiku: 竹), and ume...
Kouhaku: Why Japanese like Red and White Combination
The meaning of colors differs from country to country. For example, we Japanese associate yellow with happiness, vigor, and delight, but the color symbolizes deceit and cowardice in some countries. Kouhaku (紅白) Accordingly, each country...
