Rebecca Shiraishi-Miles 
There are 16 national holidays in Japan each year. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, it’s essential to know the dates of the Japanese national holidays to avoid disruption to your plans! Here are all the Japanese public holidays in 2026: Date Name (English) Name (Japanese) January 1 New Year’s Day 元日 (Ganjitsu) Second … Read more
Japan in January is full of fresh starts, fun traditions and frosty scenery! January is one of the most important times of the year for Japanese culture, with an array of nationwide and local celebrations to bring in the New Year. Whether you’re planning a winter trip or just want to enjoy a little Japanese … Read more
Black Friday week is the best time of year to snap up some deals, and the same applies with Japanese language resources! Here are some of the best Black Friday deals I’ve found on my favourite products for learning Japanese: JapanesePod101 JapanesePod101 is my top recommended resource to learn Japanese online. They have a GIANT … Read more
There’s something special about the calm, thoughtful wisdom that runs through Japanese culture. No wonder so many people feel drawn to Japanese philosophy. And the wonderful thing is that so many Japanese concepts are easy to apply to everyday life, even in the west. You don’t have to become a monk or give away all … Read more
I can’t explain why, but for some reason there is a pretty big overlap between people who love Japan and people who love cats! Yes, I include myself in that number 😻 Luckily for us, there’s a huge amount of Japanese books about cats available in English translation right now. Cats have long been a … Read more
Japanese literature has a special way of pulling you right into the rhythms of everyday life. What people eat, how they spend their free time… all the little details that make the culture feel alive. I’ve always been a big reader, and I became fascinated with Japan long before moving there, thanks to books like … Read more
Halloween is getting more and more popular in Japan every year. From pumpkin-flavoured snacks to huge costume parties in Tokyo, the spooky season is becoming a big event! If you’re learning Japanese, it’s a great chance to pick up some fun seasonal words. In this post, we’ll go over how to say ‘Happy Halloween’ in … Read more
Do they celebrate Halloween in Japan? The answer is yes – but not in the way you might expect! Halloween is still a fairly new holiday in Japan. It’s generally seen as a party night for young adults. You won’t see children going door to door for sweets. But you will find huge street parties, … Read more