Strawberries are the most beloved fruit in Japan, so much that you can find them in parfaits, daifuku mochi, and super kawaii and photogenic Christmas cakes. And they also have a dedicated day! A brief history of Japanese strawberries Strawberries were imported to Japan from Europe in the mid 1800s, but were still considered simply …
Yanaka is a neighborhood made of narrow streets, traditional houses, dozens of temples hidden in the alleys and a slow pace of life: it’s also where Yanaka Ginza is. A street where traditional shops and workshops still exist, and it’s also famous for its many cat statues. Yanaka Ginza In Yanaka you can enjoy the …
If you want to start the new year with a good supply of luck, take a few hours to visit the temples of the seven gods of luck (Shichifukujin Meguri – 七福神巡り). When to do shichifukujin meguri? The first seven days of the year are considered particularly lucky, however it is not unusual to make …
The first days of the year in Tokyo are full of things to do, from the emperor’s speech to fukubukuro, to simply wandering around the city. What are fukubukuro? Fukubukuro are mystery bags full with goodies ranging from clothes, to anime merchandise or household anime and many more. The tradition of fukubukuro was born in …
The Japanese new year celebration is all about attracting luck and prosperity and food makes no exception: so much that there is a word for the food ensemble of January 1, osechi ryori. The traditional meal of the Japanese new year is called osechi (おせち), and it’s served in lacquered boxes (jubako) that are usually …
It’s almost the new year, so in Japan it’s time to make mochi and attract luck on you and your family – so here I share the tradition and a microwave-free recipe you can easily make at home. The end of the year and the beginning of the new one represent two recurrences of extreme …
We went to Sensoji because I wanted to celebrate New Year traditionally. I remember a bunch of kids in front of us who were ahead of the police countdown and had a laugh. They almost shouted “Happy New Year!” few seconds earlier than the official countdown. Not the bangs of the firecrackers, but the sound …
Boxes of wagashi are something you can find everywhere in Japan around New Year day, in addition to kagami mochi. What are wagashi? The term wagashi is used for practically any Japanese sweet. Mochi, for example, also fall into the category. Despite having a history of more than two thousand years, the wagashi we see …
As early as December, Japanese supermarkets start selling New Year’s decorations. The most traditional is kagami mochi, two mochi and a mandarin stacked on top of each other. ‘Kagami’ means mirror, because the two mochi seem to have the shape of a bronze mirror used in Japan in ancient times. The mandarin is called ‘dai-dai’ …
Having lived here and there, I often get asked questions about life in Italy and one that always comes up is if dolce vita still exists. What does dolce vita mean? Literally, ‘dolce vita’ means sweet life, and is equivalent to the English “good life“. Dolce vita refers to the trends that emerged in Rome …
