It still surprises me that Japan has so many things that are either the only official versions outside the country of origin or are “only in Japan”. Remember, a couple Continue Reading
Did you know that you can take a flight or a ferry from Tokyo and after your journey still end up in Tokyo? As big, crowded and grey city it Continue Reading
Long before Japan opened to the Western world in 1850s and Japonism became the latest trend, Europe already knew about Japanese lacquerware. The first items were imported to Europe by Continue Reading
14th century Italy, ten young men and women flee Florence to protect from the Black Death or plague epidemics, and find a shelter in a remote villa in the countryside. Continue Reading
You may remember the movie “The Last Samurai”, where Tom Cruise was playing a US captain who joins to fight alongside the last samurais in Japan. What you may not Continue Reading
This year the rainy season happens to be a real one. By “real” I mean that it rains often, especially on weekends, and whenever you check the forecast with an Continue Reading
Coming back after long holiday is always tough, even more so if this marks the start of yet another year and carries the weight of the widely common “new year, Continue Reading
I always thought that Japan has four seasons, or maybe five, if we count the rainy one. It was just recently that I discovered it was not entirely true. Based Continue Reading
“With clouds and mist In a brief moment a hundred scenes Brought to fulfillment” (Matsuo Bashō, translated by D. L. Barnhill) I have always been the one to claim that Continue Reading
Imagine a samurai in Saint-Tropez, a coastal town in the French Riviera. Sounds like a scene from a comedy movie? That was my first reaction as well. The fact remains Continue Reading