節分 – Setsubun
Setsubun literally means “dividing season” and it is the day before the beginning of spring according to the traditional East Asian calendar. …
鏡開き – Kagami Biraki
Kagami biraki means “to open the mirror” in Japanese. The mochi that was offered to Toshigami-sama as a Shōgatsu kazari is called …
謹賀新年 – Happy New Year
“謹賀新年” is read as kinga shinnen. It means “happy new year” in Japanese, but it is only used as a written greeting for nengajo, …
大晦日 – New Year’s Eve 2017
New Year’s Eve is called Ōmisoka in Japanese. Through the ages Japanese people have believed that the Shinto God, Toshigami will visit …
正月飾り – Shōgatsu Kazari
Shōgatsu kazari is the generic term of all types of Japanese New Year’s decorations. Shōgatsu kazari is usually suggested to be put …
Tokyo Disney Christmas
If you are a Disney fan, visit Tokyo Disneyland during your trip to Japan. These are photos of the Christmas event at …
Japanese Style Christmas Meal
Christmas is just around the corner. This is a photo of Japanese style Christmas dinner from a beautiful hotel in Kyoto. They …
精霊馬 – Shōryō Uma
Obon is a ceremony held in late summer when the Japanese offer thanks and respect to their dead ancestors (click here for details). …
山の日 – Mountain Day
This is the second year that Mountain Day is being celebrated as a national holiday of Japan. So if you haven’t climbed …
卒業式 – Graduation
Unlike American schools, the Japanese school year starts in spring. From kindergarten to graduate school, all schools usually begin in April and …