Learning Culture

There was a kingdom known as Ryukyu that existed on the Nansei Islands, part of present day Okinawa

Tomioka Silk Mill in Gunma Prefecture was Japan's first large-scale machine-made silk factory that w

The Ogasawara Islands are located approximately 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo and consist of about

Gion, located in Kyoto's Higashiyama, serves as Kyoto's bustling downtown area.

Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture developed as one of Japan's port towns after the ports were opened i

Iwami Ginzan is a group of ruins in Shimane Prefecture where silver used to be mined in the 16th to

Yakushima is an island that floats in the sea off the southernmost tip of the mainland of Kyushu, ar

Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture is one of the big cities that represents the Hokuriku region.

The Shirakami Mountain Range is spread across Aomori and Akita Prefectures and spans over 1,000 mete

It is said that the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri began in the Edo period as a festival for praying for a good harvest.

A traditional way to celebrate children's growth and pray for their good health is shichi-go-san, which typically occurs on November 15th.

The Yoshida Fire Festival, held in Yamanashi Prefecture's Fujiyoshida City on August 26th and 27th every year, is an autumn festival that marks the end of the Mt. Fuji climbing season.

The Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori Prefecture is one of the summer festivals that represents Japan's Tohoku region.

Joya no kane are temple bells rung late at night on December 31st, the last night of the year.

The festival that brightens up autumn in Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture is the Takayama Festival, which happens every 9th and 10th of October.

Tori-no-Ichi (day of the rooster), held at Otori shrines across Japan every November, is a festival where people wish for good fortune and thriving business for the coming year.

Tsukudani is a dish that boils foods like seafood, seaweed, or vegetables in a salty-sweet seasoning made from ingredients such as sugar, soy sauce, and mirin.

Made from soybeans, tofu is a type of healthy food that has been eaten as shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) for a great many years. Even now it is a very common food in Japan.

Omurice is one of the most well-known "Western foods" born in Japan between the Meiji and Taisho periods.

In addition to sashimi and sushi, there are various ways of eating and preparing fish, such as grilling, boiling, salting, fermenting, drying, smoking, and pulping into a paste.