The winter cold melts away and spring peaks its way through to welcome new life and a new year for Japan. Out with the old and in with the new. To welcome spring, Japan celebrates Shunbun no Hi (春分の日) also known as Vernal Equinox, or even simpler, Spring Equinox.

For two weeks, from March 1 to 14, the historic temple becomes the stage for one of Japan’s oldest living traditions: the Omizutori Festival (お水取り). This ceremony has been held every single year since 752. That’s more than 1,270 years of continuous history.

If you’ve travelled to Kyoto in the past decade, you may have noticed that at certain times of the year, a soft warm glow lights up temples across the city as it welcomes the night. That’s Hanatouro.

Since 2014, World Wildlife Day has been celebrated on March 3rd with the goal to “celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora”(United Nations). In simple terms, the goal is for us to see the beauty and importance of the animals and plants that make up our ecosystem. Every animal, reptile, amphibian, and sea creature has a unique role to play, as do the plants that are necessary for their survival and ours.

The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership, born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, that invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through a leadership program.

About 70% of Japan is mountainous. These mountains have snow, onsens, and even monkeys that bathe in the onsens. Since 1964, the Jigokudani Monkey Park, also known as the Wild Snow Monkey Park, has been a habitat for the Japanese macaques and has become a must-see tourist attraction.

Social justice is a term that we have all heard when discussing politics and humanitarian efforts. A word used so often, yet its meaning tends to be lost in the sea of other important issues impacting society today. What is social justice, and why is it so important? “Social justice is the idea that all people should have the same rights and opportunities and that a country's wealth and resources should benefit everyone in that country” (Cambridge Dictionary). Today, as w

When people hear the word “Chinatown,” most people would immediately think of Yokohama. But did you know there is also a strong Chinese influence further south in Kyushu? Yes, you can find it in the heart of Nagasaki Prefecture.