Are you a coffee fanatic with the inside scoop about where to get the best beans in Tokyo? Maybe you’re on a mission to document all the vegan options at popular Japanese chain restaurants. Or you could be a tea ceremony hobbyist with an extensive collection of Japanese pottery and table manners to wow even the most prim and proper tea ceremony instructor. If you have a story to tell within the niche of Japanese gastronomy, we want to hear from you!

Ochūgen is a custom well-known among Japanese people, but less well-known to non-Japanese.  So, let’s start with the most common question: What is Ochūgen?  Ochūgen is a mid-year gift, or a summer gift, that is given to the people you feel a sense of gratitude towards, professionally (superiors) or personally (family, friends, etc).  It is also a way to show consideration for the recipient's health for the hot summer ahead.  While you can technically give someone a gift at an

We don't just aim to provide delicious ramen, but also to deliver excitement to our customers through food. To that end, we value an environment where our colleagues can experience their own growth.

Osaka’s Aizen Festival, also known as the Yukata Festival, is an event that marks the beginning of summer.  One of Osaka’s 3 main summer festivals and Japan’s oldest summer festival, the Aizen Festival has a rich history that dates back to the Asuka period (538-710).  Since 2015, the Aizen Festival has been recognized as an intangible folk cultural property by the city of Osaka.  Every year at Tennoji’s Aizendo Shomanin Temple on June 30th until July 2nd, the streets are fill

Mie Prefecture is home to the most famous shrine in Japan, Ise Jingu, also known as the Ise Grand Shrine.  Ise Jingu has 125 betsugu (separate, detached shrines), which include Shima’s Izawanomiya Shrine.  According to the Japan Royal Service, Izawanomiya shrine has a special status among the betsugu under Ise Jingu’s Naiku.  Every June 24th, Izawanomiya Shrine holds the Izawanomiya Omita Ceremony, a rice planting ceremony known as Isobe no Omita. 

This is a free cram school that provides learning support to children who, for various reasons, are unable to attend paid cram schools. We hope that students who are taught by all-volunteer instructors will grow to become people who can help others someday. We place great importance on being there for others.

While people of all gender identities whole-heartedly believe year-round in the truth that love is love, the month of June in particular is when people and communities around the globe celebrate this irrefutable fact and take enormous pride in themselves for who they are and for who they wish for others to recognize them to be. Hence the name of the month-long celebration PRIDE.

Since launching in April 2023, GivingTuesday Japan has been on a mission to highlight the country’s quiet but powerful culture of generosity. Led by Jasmine Tsunoda—a longtime nonprofit supporter and web designer who discovered GivingTuesday through a client—the small but ambitious team has worked to raise awareness, build trust, and spotlight what they call Japan’s “silent givers.”