The Fingers’ Names in Japanese Originate from Size or Usage In Japan, fingers’ names are called the following: #1 The thumb is oyayubi (親指), the “parent finger”.#2 The index finger is hitosashiyubi (人差し指), the “pointing finger”.#3 The middle finger has the same meaning as in English, and is called nakayubi (中指).#4 The ring finger is called,…
Japanese Miso Soup: its Origins and Why Japanese People Like it so Much
When and where was miso soup invited? What is it made of? Why is it so important to the Japanese people? Is there a correct way to eat it? Is it really good for your health? Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions related to the most famous soup of Japanese cuisine….
Japanese Colors and Their Symbolism
Japanese colors and their symbolism are different than the West’s since perceptions of colors are a cultural construct. They reflect the country’s history and beliefs. Read on to discover the Japanese culture’s different colors and why. In Japanese, the Green and Blue Used to Be the Same Today, the word ao (青) means blue, but…
Nihonga Painter Allan West Shares the Joys and Challenges of Being an Artist in Japan
UPDATE: Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, Allan’s studio is temporarily close to the public. It may open again in autumn depending on the situation. If you intend to visit, please contact the studio beforehand to make sure it is open. You may have seen his elegant kimono-clad figure on television, in newspapers, or in your Tokyo guidebook….
The Fascinating Life of a Tokyo Rickshaw Driver
For a long time, I ignored that the rickshaw was actually a Japanese invention! This old profession still subsists today in a newer form in Japan: the rickshaw drivers double as guides who often speak several languages. Let me introduce you to Mr. Taira, a rickshaw driver you can meet in Asakusa, Tokyo. All the…
‘Becoming Like the Sky’: an Encounter with a Street Monk in Ginza
In Tokyo, Buddhist priests chanting sutras in the streets, with their traditional robes and straw hats, have become an exotic sight not only to foreign tourists but to Tokyoites too. Mr. Mochizuki has been practicing takuhatsu (religious mendicancy and sutra chanting) in the streets of Ginza for nine years.I had the opportunity to interview him…
This Shamisen Player and Mangaka Draws People’s Portraits While Singing
Chie is a nagashi artist: her job consists of wandering the streets of Arakicho (a part of Shinjuku ward), going from tavern to tavern to play and sing to entertain the customers. She’s also a mangaka and draws people’s portraits while singing. I met Chie by chance at the Ringo no Hana tavern in Arakicho back in 2018, and we talked…
The Secrets of the Tatami and Making them for 6 Generations
I had the pleasure to have a talk with Mr. Tsunekawa, a young tatami craftsman. His family has been making tatami for generations in their small, 160 years old workshop in Tokyo. A bit shy at first but soon very talkative, he explained me the qualities that make tatami different from other flooring, and what…