Japan Navigator

The Mainichi web site has recently published an interview with Murakami Haruki in five parts, about his inspiration in American literature, his translation work, his upcoming new novel, and the situation in the world: one, two, three, four, five.
Test your poetic inspiration by participating in the 12th Mainichi Haiku Contest.
The Japan Times feautures an interview […]

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There are three English paper-based newspapers in Japan plus one published exclusively on the internet.
I rank them as follows:
Paper-based:
- My favorite is The Japan Times. The only independent English paper, with lots of new content (not translated from the Japanese press) and many articles on Japanese society and culture. Regular contributors are also famous, […]

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Japanese couples are spending themselves silly again on weddings. Couples that held a wedding reception in 2007 spent an average 3.4 million yen, an increase of about 200,000 yen compared to three years ago, as Asahi.com reports.
Japanese weddings have come a long way from the boring, standard affairs that were held in hotels in the […]

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The British newspaper The Independent has undertaken a survey into the relative status of national (and regional) capitals. Tokyo scores fourth overall, behind London (surprise, the home ground of the newspaper), New York and Paris. It is therefore the capital of Asia!
But contenders are giving chase at high speed: Peking, Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong […]

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Tsukiji, Tokyo’s famous fish market has held its first tuna auction of the New Year. This is always an opportunity for someone to show off his financial prowess by buying a fish caught in waters around Japan for an exorbitant prize.
This year the buyer was a Hong Kong-based sushi restaurant chain owner (!), an indication […]

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There is such a lot of noise in the press, also outside Japan, about a recent spate of food scandals, that you would almost take the Buddhist injunction of putting a warm stone on the stomach to fend off the pangs of hunger seriously and vegetate on an austere diet of green shoots. That in […]

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The Kyoto Prize is the Japanese competitor of the Swedish Nobel prize, but unfortunately still much less famous. It has been awarded annually since 1984 by the Inamori Foundation, which was established by Inamori Kazuo (”Profit is society’s award for serving its interests”) with his personal fortune, the founder and long-term president of high-tech company […]

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With the sprouting of the fresh green and the red splash of the azaleas, in May Japan bursts out in a frenzy of festivals.

[Shiobune Temple fire festival - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
Late April - Early May, Nara: Opening of Hokuendo Hall of Kofukuji　(2007: 4/27-5/6).
May 1- 4, Kyoto: Nenbutsu Kyogen at Senbonshakado Temple.
One of the three […]

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With sadness we note the passing of Clifton Karhu on March 24 at age 79, the great American-born blockprint artist who made Kyoto his home. Karhu’s prints are known for their strong lines and vivid colors and his themes pay tribute to the beauty of Japan’s old capital. Norman Tolman, founder of the Tolman Collection […]

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Ai-mitsu is one of the most tortured (and fascinating) Japanese painters from the middle of the last century - he died in China during the war. He is undeservedly unknown outside of Japan, so the Ai-Mitsu Exhibition starting March 30 in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, and lasting until May 27, is a […]

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This morning at 9:42 there was a rather large earthquake on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture (near Kanazawa). I visited this area last September (see my introduction of the region) and was shocked to learn about the quake this evening when I read the news on the internet. I hope all the friendly people […]

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Spring is finally here. The last few weeks were unexpectedly cold, but although rainy, this weekend the temperature rose to a more agreeable level and… the first sakura in Kobe started budding on this small tree a block away from where I live. Just a simple beginning of spring, but from now on it […]

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March is the time of dolls (hina ningyo, the dolls for Girl’s Day) in Japan and there are four ongoing exhibitions in Kyoto:
At the Kyoto National Museum “Girl’s Day and Dolls” (until April 8);
At Hokyoji Imperial Convent the annual spring exhibition, this year for the 100th time (until April 3; take bus no. 9 from […]

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Earlier this month the Akutagawa Prize for new writers of literary fiction was awarded to Aoyama Nanae for Being Alone. Here she is interviewed by the Japan Times (registration required).
While art markets worldwide are soaring (and in Asia the Chinese one is setting new records), Japan’s restrictive and rather traditional market is not sharing in […]

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Howard French of the New York Times has a nice article about Alps town Matsumoto and its huge, cavernous castle - an excellent option for a long weekend away from Tokyo. Matsumoto Castle has one of the best preserved historical donjons in Japan and is a “national treasure.” Besides the castle, Matsumoto features several excellent […]

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Despite the expected boost it will give the economy, not everybody in Nagasaki is happy with the government decision to register 20 Christian sites with the Unesco World Heritage List. As Asahi.com reports, the priests are afraid noisy tourists will disturb the peace of the believers by snapping their picture, leave graffitti on the walls […]

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The cherry blossoms will bloom early this year. Whether that is a good thing is the question, as according to popular belief strong winters make good sakura, just like hot summers cause deep-red koyo. And although in normal years the blossoms advance over Japan from the south, like a nice frontline (the sakura zensen), this […]

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As a “Kyotophile” I am glad to read in the Asahi that the Kyoto city government has decided to tighten building rules. For parts of central Kyoto this is already too late, but prevention of further damage is welcome. The proposed new rules:

Building height for new buildings will go down from 45 to 31 meters.
Flashing […]

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Japan is still suffering from the “yokai” monster boom that was caused by Miike Takashi’s enjoyable and totally extravagant The Great Yokai War (2005). These folktale goblins were first popularized by the 1966 humoristic manga Ge ge ge no Kitaro by Mizuki Shigeru (who rightly has a cameo in Miike’s film; on top of that, […]

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Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) on November 3 is originally the holiday dedicated to the Emperor Meiji, whose birthday according to the Lunar Calendar fell around this date. Before the war, people would gather at shrines throughout the country and bow in the direction of the Imperial Palace. Under the postwar constitution the day was […]

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Nov., Kyoto: Special Temple Openings
Many temples which are usually not open show their treasures or gardens. See here for a list.
Nov., Tokyo: Tori-no-Ichi, Otori Shrine (Taito Ward)
Sale of kumade or bamboo rakes, to rake in good fortune.
November 2-4, Karatsu (Saga Pref.): Karatsu Kunchi
Interesting hikiyama floats with models of sea bream, dragons, samurai helmets and other […]

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Today the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival opens (it will run until next week Sunday).
Among the opening/closing line-up is a new film by 91-year old veteran Ichikawa Kon, a remake of his own 1976 Murder of the Inugami Clan, after a complex detective novel by Yokomizo Masashi, featuring Ishizaka Koji as sleuth Kindaichi. Ichikawa Kon […]

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2nd Sat. Oct. - First Sun. of Dec. Kyoto: Ginkakuji: Special opening of the Hojo (Abbot’s Quarters), Togudo and Roseitei Pavilion.
Information: Office of Jisho-ji (Ginkaku-ji) 075-771-5725 (Japanese only)
Access: Short walk from Ginkakujimichi bus stop (bus 5 from Kyoto St)

Oct. 1, Munakata (Fukuoka Pref., Kyushu): Kaijo Jinko-sai, Munakata Taisha.
The Kaijo Jinko or Procession of Gods […]

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Lunar Calendar: between 8/10 and 9/9, nationwide: Moon Viewing
This night, there are moon viewing parties and events at many shrines and temples. Also see what Basho wrote about moonviewing.

[Osawa Pond near Daikakuji]
Lunar Calendar: between 8/10 and 9/9, Kyoto: Kangetsu no Yube, Daikakuji
The most famous moonviewing party, called “Kangetsu no Yube” is held at Daikakuji (from […]

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A lost sketchbook / travel diary by ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige has recently surfaced in the United States, as the Daily Yomiuri Online reports. Called Koshu Nikki Shaseicho (“Diary and Sketches of Koshu”), it is only one of two sketchbooks in existence by Hiroshige, so it is an important find. The sketchbook dates from November 1841 […]

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