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Postcard from Japan: Yarn Alive

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Today I had the absolute pleasure of meeting some of the ladies from Yarn Alive, a charitable group based in Shichigahama. Yarn Alive started as a group of people meeting up to talk and knit after the tsunami in 2011, and has become a project which is now able to help others in need by … Continue reading

Coast to Coast

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As I sat with my new friends in a small, newly rebuilt restaurant in Shichigahama today looking at the sea I realised why I feel such a connection with Tohoku and with the disaster area in particular. Of course I was in Japan at the time of the earthquake and tsunami, which brought me closer … Continue reading

Postcard from Japan: Matsushima, ah!

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Haiku poet Basho famously wrote the following haiku upon visiting Matsushima, where I spent today: Matsushima ah! A-ah, Matsushima, ah! Matsushima, ah! 松島や ああ松島や 松島や

Postcard from Japan: Daibutsu

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Today I climbed a mountain in the pouring rain to see this: I got completely soaked, and it was exhausting, but it was worth it! More on this place – Nokogiri – in the future! I have just one more day left in Japan, so I need to get a good night’s sleep tonight…

Postcard from Japan: Classic Crossing

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I know it’s a cliché, but I couldn’t leave Tokyo without spending some time sitting in Starbucks and staring at the Shibuya Crossing… Tomorrow I’ll be heading back to the UK after what has been the most incredible 4-week trip. I have taken over 7,000 photos, so please bear with me whilst I sort through … Continue reading

4 Weeks in Japan

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I have just spent the most incredible 4 weeks in Japan. As I’ve been travelling I’ve tried to feed you little snippets of what I’ve bee doing via this blog, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but I have in no way covered it all. As time goes on I will be posting about certain aspects of my … Continue reading

Word of the Week: 付き合う

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Word of the Week is back! I toyed with the idea of taking a longer break, but a few of you have commented that you really enjoy these posts (thank you!) so I thought I should continue as soon as possible. In the last post we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘chi’ (ち), … Continue reading

Japan 2014: Ushiku Daibutsu

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I’ve been back from Japan for almost three weeks now and in a weird way it’s like it never happened. Work is in full swing, and I’ve hardly had a moment to stop. Still, my house is happily full of Japanese food and souvenirs, and I have thousands of photos to remind me of the … Continue reading

Word of the Week: 手作り

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last week we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘tsu’ (つ), and focussed on the expression 付き合う (tsukiau), which means ‘to associate with’, ‘to accompany’ or ‘to date’. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘te’ (て). A big thank you to everyone who … Continue reading

Word of the Week: とんでもない

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last week we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘te’ (て), and focussed on the word 手作り (てづくり) (tezukuri), which means ‘handmade’. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘to’ (と). A big thank you to everyone who joined in with their suggestions: Japan … Continue reading

Japan 2014: Fish Tales

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Can you believe I’ve been back from Japan for a month already? Apologies for being so slow at getting my photos uploaded and sharing my adventures with you all. However, now the JLPT is over (for the time being…) I can turn my attention back to blogging. Today I thought I’d share a fishy adventure… … Continue reading

JLPT Challenge 2014 –がんばりました!

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Last November I announced that I would be giving the JLPT another go this July, and yesterday the day of the test finally came! Originally I planned to take N3, but before I applied I decided it would be more realistic to take N4, and I’m really glad I made that choice now. Spending a … Continue reading

Japan 2014: Tokyo SkyTree & Solamachi

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When I was in Japan in 2011 I saw the Tokyo SkyTree standing in its full glory (634 metres), but it didn’t open until May 2012, more than a year after I had left Japan. I love a tall tower with a good view, so I knew I would have to visit the SkyTree on … Continue reading

HYPER JAPAN 2014 – Two weeks to go!

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It’s nearly time for HYPER JAPAN, the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine, entertainment and technology! The event will be held over three days, from 25th – 27th July, in Earls Court, London. As always, there will be a fantastic mixture of Japanese food, pop-culture, traditional Japanese culture, music, games, anime, cosplay… and so much … Continue reading

Word of the Week: 懐かしい

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last week we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘to’ (と), and focussed on the word とんでもない (tondemonai), which means ‘unthinkable’, ‘absolutely not’, or ‘don’t mention it’. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘na’ (な). A big thank you to everyone who joined … Continue reading

Word of the Week: ニコニコする

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It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last week we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘na’ (な), and focussed on the word 懐かしい (natsukashii), which is the feeling you get when something reminds you of the past. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘ni’ (に). A big thank you … Continue reading

Monthly Recipe: Rilakkuma Kyaraben

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I’m not sure what happened to July, but time seems to be flying fast and I realised I would have to cook my monthly recipe today or not at all! For a while now I’ve been wanting to try a ‘kyaraben’ (キャラ弁) – a character bento or character lunch box. I always look at pictures … Continue reading

HYPER JAPAN 2014 – starts tomorrow!

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I had high hopes of being able to get a few more blogs written this week and to share more of my Japan trip with you, but unfortunately time has somewhat flown. I also have some cool books and other new products to share with you soon, and even a giveaway coming up, so please … Continue reading

E-Book Review: TENUGI (Japanese Hand Towels)

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TENUGI (Japanese Hand Towels), an e-book published by Airy Rhyme, Inc., is one of a series of e-books about traditional Japanese culture. The series aims to introduce traditional items and skills deeply rooted in Japan, and so far consists of three titles: TENUGI (Japanese Hand Towels) , SHOYU (Japanese Soy Sauce) and WASHI (Japanese Paper). This series … Continue reading

Book Review: Things Japanese by Nicholas Bornoff (+ Win a Copy!)

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Things Japanese: Everyday Objects of Extraordinary Beauty and Significance by Nicholas Bornoff, with photographs by Michael Freeman (published by Tuttle, 2002) is a book which should be on the shelf of every Japanophile. In fact, I’m really not sure how I’ve survived so long without a copy! The 140-or-so-page full-colour book is filled with more than … Continue reading
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