Dear readers, Since we received good feedback and signs of interest following our interview with Higa Farm, we have decided to collaborate with Masamichi and Sara Higa to offer you a new kind of experience: online farming! From now on, Kokoro Media will be renting a small parcel of land at Higa Farm to grow…
This Japanese Winery Is Aging Wine Bottles Under the Sea
Michihiko Sasaki is the CEO of Minami Sanriku Winery, in the town of Minami Sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture. 10 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the tsunami that left the town in ruins, the team at Minami Sanriku Winery are using wine as a way to give life back to the place and…
The Shikoku Pilgrimage: Practical Tips and Anecdotes by Oliver Dunskus
Oliver Dunskus is a German national who spends most of his year being a marketing manager. However, he has an atypical hobby: spending a few weeks each year walking the most famous pilgrimage of Japan, on Shikoku island. Noticing the lack of practical guidebooks for western pilgrims, he wrote and released the first Shikoku pilgrimage…
Our Experience of Japanese Strawberry Picking at a Chiba Farm
As a follow-up to our fun futomakizushi experience, my colleagues Aree, Ayane, and I decided to go further in exploring Chiba food and culture by enjoying one of its most popular seasonal products: strawberries! In spring, a typical activity for young people and families in Japan is to go directly to the farms to do…
The Unique Festive Sushi from Chiba Prefecture
If you are familiar with Japanese food, you may know the two most common types of sushi. The first is nigirizushi, literally “sushi pressed in hand,” for which a piece of raw fish is put on top of some rice molded by hand. The other type is makizushi, the famous sushi rolls, for which a piece of…
Together, These People Have Renovated an Entire Japanese Village
Akira Yamaguchi is one of the founding members of TEAM Clapton. This construction group does design, renovation, and builds event spaces. Their specialization: their construction sites are open to everybody who wants to help, beginners included. Last year, TEAM Clapton was involved in renovating a small traditional village, transforming it into a small lodging complex…
Why We Should Protect Japanese Bears and Their Home
Eli Sooker is a New Zealand-born nature conservationist. After working for some time in his home country, he started exploring the world on his own and ended up living in Japan. There, he discovered aspects of Japanese nature which people do not often talk about. He also became involved in local bear conservation. In this…
The Top 3 Travel Destinations I’d like to Revisit in a Post-COVID-19 Japan
I was never much of a traveler until I started visiting Japan. Traveling in Japan magically combines adventure, safety, and convenience, with natural beauty and exciting experiences dotted throughout the country. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, COVID-19 has halted carefree travel throughout the country. For now, I’ll have to settle for reminiscing about…
5 Adventurous Activities to Enjoy on Hachijojima, the “Hawaii of Japan”
A visit to Hachijojima, an island nearly 300 kilometers south of Tokyo, is the perfect weekend getaway. It’s far enough from the big city to truly escape into nature yet close enough to be thoroughly enjoyed over a three-day weekend. In this article, I’ll explain how to reach the island, introduce the top five activities…
How Science Helps in Revitalizing Japan’s Fishing Industry
Takashi Suzuki is an assistant professor at Kagoshima University and a former project researcher at the University of Tokyo. Now a specialist in marine life and fisheries, he was a student on the Iwate Prefecture campus of Kitasato University student when the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake happened. Since then, he has been devoting his studies and activities to…