If you visit Japan in early June or October, you might notice something curious: people’s outfits suddenly shift! Long sleeves become short sleeves, dark colors turn to light ones, and heavier fabrics are swapped for breezy ones. This isn’t just a coincidence—it’s a centuries-old tradition called 衣替え (koromogae), or the seasonal change of clothing.  Let’s take a closer look at what koromogae really means.

もし6月上旬や10月に日本を訪れるのであれば、不思議なことに気づくかもしれません： 人々の服装が突然変わります！長袖が半袖に、暗い色が明るい色に、厚手の生地が風通しの良い生地に変わります。これは単なる偶然ではありません。何世紀も続く衣替えという季節ごとの衣類の入れ替えの習慣です。

Peace is a concept that we are all familiar with in varying capacities.  To the fortunate, it is a part of their everyday life.  To others, it is a hope for the future.  There will always be people who crave chaos and seek to sow it into the world, but where there is darkness, there will always be light.  That light can be seen in people who strive to promote peace with their actions and words.  A beacon of that peace can be seen in the peacekeepers stationed throughout the w

平和は、私たち全員が様々な立場でよく知っている概念です。幸運な人にとっては、それは彼らの日常生活の一部です。他の人々にとっては、それは未来への希望です。混沌を渇望し、世界にそれをまき散らそうとする者は常に存在します。しかし闇があるところには、必ず光もあります。その光は、自らの行動や言葉で平和を促進しようとする人々に見られ、世界中に配置されている平和維持要員たちの中に、その平和の灯火が垣間見えます。

Today, we will introduce the first of six community development projects Pal System is currently working on! Please subscribe to our blog and stay tuned to learn about the others coming soon! 本日は、パルシステムが現在取り組んでいる6つのコミュニティ開発プロジェクトのうち、最初のプロジェクトをご紹介します。ぜひブログを購読して、今後のプロジェクトについてもぜひご覧ください！

Are you passionate about women’s empowerment? We’re recruiting for the following roles in our team for July 1, 2025 – June 31st, 2027 [for a 2-year period of service]. If you believe in supporting all diverse women, can consistently dedicate ~5 hours per week of service, and are a self-motivated, collaborative innovator, we would love to hear from you.

From early June to mid-July, Japan enters its tsuyu, or rainy season. The days become warm and humid, and sudden downpours are common. But amid the misty evenings and damp air, a beautiful seasonal event begins—the arrival of fireflies. Known in Japanese as hotaru, these glowing insects have long been symbols of summer, nostalgia, and the quiet magic of nature.

6月上旬から7月中旬にかけて、日本は梅雨に入ります。日中は暖かく湿度が高くなり、突然の雨がよく降ります。しかし、霧の立ち込める夕方と湿った空気の中、美しい季節の行事が始まりを告げます。蛍の到来です。