Ikebana Explained
It is believed that for the first time the idea that flowers could be used as decoration came to Japan along with Buddhism, about one and a half thousand years ago. But about 1,500 years ago is too approximate, and art as significant to Japan as ikebana could not have been left without its founding father. And without a grandfather and…
Sake Explained
I have no idea how it happened, but I still didn’t tell you anything about sake. Even though I should have brought it right after geisha – few things in Japanese culture are surrounded by as many misconceptions as these two. For example, sake is not rice vodka and not even rice wine, although it does taste a bit like…
Ramen Explained
Ramen, like curry rice, is firmly established in the category of kokuminshoku, the national food of Japan. But while curry is often prepared at home, ramen remains a restaurant food. If you can call the establishments that serve it by that name, of course. In the last Instagram poll, you voted for ramen. And I had the right books at…
Travelling in Japan and myth-busting
I was invited to Cornfries Podcast to talk about life in Japan as a foreigner, give some travel tips and play “true or false” about the country. Now we all just want to go to Rabbit Island. But the episode is out, so give it a listen. It was a fun yet pretty informative conversation.
Karaoke Explained
Why do people go to karaoke? Why in the West people prefer karaoke bars while the East is all about karaoke boxes? Was karaoke really invented in Japan? How old is it? Why do karaoke songs sound so different from the original ones? The list goes on and on. My friends asked me so many questions about karaoke that I…
Japanese Curry Explained
Perry’s visits to Japan showed Japan how weak were its naval forces. And as I started thinking about the Japanese Navy, curry rice instantly came to my mind. In this episode let’s look at the deep connection between the Japanese Navy and curry, discover the 150-year long history of curry in Japan and check which types of curry you should…
I was a podcast guest!
Last month I had a great talk with Kyle Wood from Who ArtEd podcast. Now the episode is finally released and I’m inviting you to check it out to learn about contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Kyle and I talked about Takashi’s connection to traditional Japanese art, manga and yokai. My voice is a bit shaky (I was nervous), but…
Yokai Explained
We all love something cooling during the summer heat. And what can be more refreshing than a spooky story that makes you shiver? But sorry, I can’t handle scary stories. They are, well, scary. Japanese people, on the other hand, are really good at making and retelling them. So this time let me introduce you to the Japanese monsters –…
Geisha Explained
In the very first episode of Japan Explained, I will address the biggest misconception about Japanese culture. You guessed it right, Geisha. When I see or hear anything about geisha in Japan it usually falls into two categories: sweet fairytales about the treasuries of traditional culture or not so sweet tales about high-class prostitutes. So who are geishas? Short answer:…