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Christmas Cards in Japan
It’s J-Festa time again, and this month’s theme is Christmas in Japan. Christmas in Japan is a curious thing. December 25th is not a holiday in Japan, and most of the action takes place on December...
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30 Things I Love About Japan
It’s my birthday today, so I’ve decided to write a very self-indulgent post featuring some of the things I love about Japan. I’ve picked 30 random topics off the top of my head, in no particular order...
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Let’s Merry Xmas！
Merry Christmas everyone! メリークリスマス！ Thank you for reading all year and sticking with me even though I left Japan. Please keep reading in the New Year, as I will strive to keep up my promise of weekly...
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Hello Kitty Christmas Crackers
Christmas Day had a little burst of Japanese fun this year – Hello Kitty Christmas Crackers! I was really excited to see that my mum had found Kitty-chan crackers in Tesco. Hello Kitty seems to be...
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Matcha & Azuki Roll Cake
As a special post-Christmas treat, my mum surprised me by preparing all the ingredients to make the matcha and azuki roll cake I had recently drooled over on the Japan Centre website. I’ll admit that...
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Looking Back at Post a Week 2011
Back in January I accepted WordPress’s Post A Week challenge, although I was worried that I might not be able to keep it up. (There was a Post A Day challenge too, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to do...
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Happy New Year! あけましておめでとうございます！
Happy New Year! あけましておめでとうございます！ Wishing all the readers of Haikugirl’s Japan a very Happy New Year! 2012 is the year of the dragon. According to Amy Chavez, “Japanese dragons are said to be benevolent...
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2011 in review – what a year it was!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for Haikugirl’s Japan. (From: Kanzanji: A big Buddha, a beautiful lake, and a lot of walking!) Here are some excerpts from my annual...
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Totoro slippers!
Totoro slippers. So, so, so cute. I caught up with a friend today and received these as a belated birthday present. I was so excited that I had to share them with you all. Not only will my feet be cozy...
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Weekly Shiritori #1
Shiritori? What’s that then? Shiritori (しりとり) is a fun Japanese word game which I learnt while waiting for a train one day in Japan. You can play the game with two or more players, and it’s a great way...
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Hyper Japan 2012 Spring update
With only seven weeks to go, I’m starting to get excited about the return of the UK’s biggest J-culture event: Hyper Japan! Hyper Japan 2012 Spring will take place from Friday 24th – Sunday 26th...
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Japan in NYC
Just before Christmas I went on a little holiday to New York and while I was there I made sure to keep my eyes open for Japanese-related stuff. I wasn’t disappointed! On my first night I visited...
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Reasons to visit Japan #1
It’s no secret that I would happily book a holiday to Japan today if I had the money, and I’m always on the look out for more reasons to add to my list of “why it’s ok to consider getting into debt to...
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Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure
While visiting the Manga at the British Museum - Drawings by Hoshino Yukinobu exhibition at the British Museum yesterday I frequently heard people asking each other “what’s manga?”, and so I will begin...
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My Girlfriend is a Cyborg
Cyborg She or 僕の彼女はサイボーグ (Boku no Kanojo wa Saibōgu) – literally, My Girlfriend is a Cyborg – is a bit of a mind-bending movie. This 2008 Japanese film by South Korean director & writer Kwak...
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Weekly Shiritori #2
Last week I started my new weekly series: Weekly Shiritori. The first word was “shiritori” (the name of the game!) – click here if you missed that! So, “shiritori” is written しりとり, which means that...
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A night at the opera
This is a long overdue post. So long overdue, in fact, that I considered not bothering. However, I’ve never had the chance to write about opera before, so here goes… On November 26th I went to see a...
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Exhibition: Over the Parched Field by Akiko Takizawa
Heike Ghost, 2007, gelatine silver print © Akiko Takizawa As I gaze at the photographs behind the glass, I feel a sense of loss, a deep sadness, and a hint of mystery. I don’t pretend to be able to...
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Winter in Japan
This month’s J-Festa is all about “Winter in Japan“. Since the announcement of the theme, I’ve been trying to decide what to write about. I lived in the Chubu region of Japan, so I haven’t experienced...
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Weekly Shiritori #3
Last week’s Weekly Shiritori post was about rikishi (りきし / 力士) so, this week, I need to start with し (shi). A big thank you to everyone who left comments and made suggestions. I really liked Sarah’s...
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