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 …
My expat New Year in Japan
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 …
Celebrate the Japanese New Year with wagashi
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 …
Kagami mochi to celebrate the New Year Japanese style
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 …
How to make Japanese 7/11 pistachio cookies (vegan and non vegan)
Since it’s my Japaniversary week, I’m making the Japanese 7/11 pistachio cookies, listing both a vegan and non vegan recipe. My Japaniversary Three years ago this week I left …
Momijigari: meaning, legend, foods and travel tips
As a teenager I thought that the best time to visit Japan was spring, doing hanami under the fully bloomed cherry trees. Then my friend Chiara told me that autumn …