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Summer in Japan is associated with matsuri (festivals) like the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto or the Tanabata Matsuri in Sendai. It’s also when the beaches get crowded with everyone trying to enjoy the season. While it’s fun experiencing all the seasonal attractions that come with the season, it’s hard to deny the unbearable heat and humidity that comes with spending the day outdoors. Once the heat sinks in, solar ultraviolet radiation increases which can lead to sun damage like developing premature wrinkles. Thankfully a quick trip to a yakkyoku (pharmacy) and picking up a good sunscreen can help pre...
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There is no escaping the inevitable question, “Have you seen Squid Game yet?” It’s an international craze, hitting no.1 on Netflix in over 90 countries and sets to eclipse streaming records for a non-English language show. But what makes the show so addictive? Its premise sees hundreds of debt-riddled outcasts fight for a chance to win an astronomical amount of money. The catch: if you don’t pass a series of Korean playground games, you’re mercilessly slaughtered. Squid Game’s success may come as a shock to those well-versed in Japanese media as bloody survival games have been in the zeitgeist...
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Scary stories are a Japanese summer tradition. So what better way to cool off from the brutal summer heat than with a spine-chilling story about a haunted tunnel in Kyushu or a possessed doll in Hokkaido? These may sound like Japanese horror movies, but they’re based on true stories—mostly. While Japan’s yurei and yokai (ghosts and mythological spirits) are based on old superstitions, these urban legends have a modern setting. Here are seven Japanese urban legends to give you chills during the warm summer nights. 1. Howling Inunaki TunnelThe true mystery of Inunaki Village is whether or not it...
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GaijinPot Travel has released its fifth-annual index of the Top 10 Japan Travel Destinations for 2021. Although Tokyo and other big cities are always popular among travelers, this year, with everyone stressed out and cooped up at home, we saw more interest in the rural regions. By researching current Japan travel trends and compiling data on innovative initiatives that local governments, business owners and communities are using to attract international visitors, the GaijinPot Travel team compiled a nomination list of the best places to visit in Japan. Thanks to our readers casting their own v...
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Tatami is the flooring used in traditional Japanese architecture as far back as the Heian period (794–1185). It’s made from rice straw, compressed wood or, more recently, even synthetic materials. It’s durable, practically fireproof and grants excellent insulation. It also feels pretty great on your feet.Once considered an item of luxury for Japanese aristocrats, it’s since become a symbol of Japanese aesthetics. Most homes in Japan have at least one tatami room. It’s so ubiquitous in Japanese houses that it’s the country’s de facto method of measuring a room’s size. For example, information o...
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Video games based on real-life historical events are big business these days. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which drew on real-life figures from ancient Greek history to craft a fictional narrative, is one of my favorite recent games. When I saw Ghost of Tsushima called “Assassin’s Creed, but in feudal Japan,” I knew I had to check it out.It did not disappoint.The game takes place in the year 1274 during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. You play as Jin Sakai, a samurai lord of Tsushima Island, who lives to protect his lands and people from the Mongol horde. But just how much of this fascinating...
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