Japan’s prettiest national pastime of hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, has got off to its earliest start ever. The Japan Meteorological Agency announced the beginning of cherry blossom, or ‘sakura,’ season over the weekend. The declaration came after the agency’s designated index tree at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine showed the first flowers in bloom on Saturday,…
Monthly Archives: March 2013
PRODUCTS
Japanese wooden bucket and dipper adds an exotic touch to your home
Created by Eifu KawamataTraditionally, this beautifully handcrafted wooden bucket and dipper set was used at the start of each new year as part of a household’s ritual welcoming of the change in the calendar. At dawn, the bucket would be filled with pure water from a nearby well, stream or river, and the water would…
LIFESTYLE
Life at Japan from 1868-1926
by vintageeveryday in Photos Photographs of Japan from the Meiji and Taisho Periods (1868-1926) have captivated viewers around the world since they were first circulated. One photographer in particular captured Japanese life so beautifully that his work has been seen by countless people all across the globe. Until very recently, though, his name was virtually…
CULTURE
The Japanese Doll Festival — Girls’ Day
On March 3rd, Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival ) or Girls’ Day is celebrated in Japan. Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of ornamental dolls (hina-ningyo) representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period (794-1192) — it is said that the custom of displaying…