Setsubun Food Traditions: What to Eat on Japan’s Bean-Throwing Festival
Food plays a pivotal role in Setsubun celebrations in Japan. Learn the traditions old and new, including what you should eat on Setsubun for a lucky year ahead.
Culinary Culture
Sake in a Box: How to Drink Sake from a Square Wooden Masu Cup
Sake in a box? We’ll look at the wooden masu cup, what it is, how it’s used and, importantly, how on earth you’re supposed to drink sake served to overflow.
Coffee in Japan and Why Coffee Cup Handles Are Placed the “Wrong” Way
If you order a cup of coffee in Japan, you may notice something “unusual” about the way your coffee cup is served.
The Actual Reason There’s Plastic Grass in Your Bento
Ever wondered why there’s plastic grass in your bento box? We’ll explain why bento grass (or sushi grass) exists and where the culture of using it came from.
Why do Japanese wash rice and what is “no-wash rice”?
Why wash rice? Is washing rice really necessary? The science behind washing rice and why the Japanese are turning to “no-wash rice” instead.
‘Hibachi’ Probably Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does
Hibachi is a word that is now in common usage, but what it means abroad and in Japan are two different things. So, just what does hibachi actually mean?
Japanese School Lunch: Why it’s Awesome and One Reason it’s Not (with photos)
Japanese school lunch in photos over an entire year. First-hand experience of what the school lunch system in Japan gets right and one major thing it doesn’t.