Do you know a Japanese movie series “Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It’s tough being a man)”? It is a comedy drama about a man called Tora-san, who is a…

  This is a weekly headline round-up of the posts titled [Japan after Quake] on our Facebook page.   [Jul. 25] For elderly people living in temp housing, NPO starts…

  Have you ever heard of a Japanese word “gokon”? According to wikipedia, it’s “a group blind date, typically used to form at least some friendships between two groups that are…

  There is this Japanese music video that gained high valuation by overseas viewers. It is a video for a song titled “Mushi no Tameiki (Bug’s Sigh)” sung by Handsome…

  Waterbeds have been in the market for a long time, but water cycling futon might be a new thing. This summer, a Japanese bed maker FRANCEBED launched “Reidan Shiki…

Miki took this picture at a tsunami-struck area, Matsushima, a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, hoping that everything goes back to normal soon. Copyright(C) Miki   →Miki’s twitter← (English…

  On the internet, there are many characters newly created using AA (ASCII Art), and these are becoming more and more complicated. Here are some recent “keyboard art” trends in Japan…

A couple is walking through the ornaments for Tanabata, the Star Festival. Jyouzenji Street in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Copyright(C) Miki   →Miki’s twitter← (English is OK)     This is…

Japanese popular soft drink, Calpis. In your country, you may be able to find it as Calpico at oriental markets. Or you may have heard of the odd named drink…

A little girl in yukata (summer kimono) is holding a candle on a bamboo stick for purifying ceremony at Mitarashi Matsuri in Shimogamo Shrine. Copyright(C) Miki   →Miki’s twitter← (English…

Mr. and Mrs. Hirayabu, a couple married for 50 years, who live in Ashikita, Kumamoto Prefecture hatched a duck egg with their body heat. The local newspaper Kumanichi reported the…