Culture/Mind

🌏 Introduction Every August, something remarkable happens across Japan. Airports become crowded from early morning until late at night. Bullet […]

🌏 Introduction On the last day of the school term in July, an unusual scene unfolds across Japan. As the

🌏 Introduction For many first-time visitors to Japan, one of the biggest surprises of summer is not the heat. It

🌏 Introduction For many visitors to Japan, one of the first things they notice during the morning commute is the

🌏 Introduction If someone asked me to describe a Japanese summer using only one image, I would probably choose fireworks.

🌏 Introduction One of the biggest surprises for many visitors to Japan is seeing young children walking to school on

🌏 Introduction Every year as July approaches, something quietly begins to change across Japan. Bamboo branches appear at the entrances

🌏 Introduction For many Japanese people, few things feel more like summer than school swimming lessons. Long before summer vacation

🌏 Introduction If you visit a shrine in Japan during late June, you may notice something unusual standing near the

🌏 Introduction When I was a child, I never thought Japan’s entrance ceremonies were unusual. Every time I entered a

🌏 Introduction In many parts of the world, the summer solstice is a major event. Around June 21 each year,

🌏 Introduction For many visitors, one of the most surprising things about Japanese schools is not the uniforms, school lunches,

🌏 Introduction If you spend enough time in Japan, you may begin to notice something curious. On days when the

🌏 Introduction Ask many Japanese adults about their strongest school memories, and there is a good chance they will not

🌏 Introduction Japan is famous for its cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, and beautiful seasonal scenery. Yet if you ask many