Culture & Customs 🍱 Japanese Food Trivia Part 5 Chopstick Taboos in Japan: What Not to Do at the Table
When you visit Japan, it won’t take long to notice how important etiquette is—especially at the dining table. Among the ...
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Culture & Customs 
Food & Drink 🍱 Japanese Food Trivia Series – Part3 Why Is There Wasabi in Sushi? The Difference Between Japanese and Overseas Sushi
🐯 Story from a Friend: “Wasabi Burned My Brain!”One of my American friends, Alex, told me a funny story from his first t...
Culture & Customs 🍱 Japanese Food Trivia Series – Part 2 The Power of Dashi: Why Japanese Soup Stock Is So Much More Than Just Flavor
When my Canadian friend Sophie visited Japan for the first time, I took her to a small, family-run restaurant in Kyoto. ...
Culture & Customs 🍱 Japanese Food Trivia Series – Part 1 What Is Washoku? And Why Did It Become a UNESCO Cultural Heritage?
🥢 “Japanese food is so beautiful… it looks like art!”That’s what my friend Mark from California said during his trip to ...
Culture & Customs ⛩️ Japanese Trivia Part 5: Hamaya and the Culture of Good Luck Charms in Japan
What Is a Hamaya?When visiting a Japanese shrine around New Year's, you might see people carrying a decorative arrow wit...
Culture & Customs ⛩️ Japanese Trivia Part 4: Omamori & Ema – Small Charms, Deep Wishes
What Is an Omamori?An omamori is a small, colorful charm you can find at almost any shrine or temple in Japan. Usually e...
Culture & Customs ⛩️Japanese Trivia Part 3: Why do people bow, clap, and wash their hands at shrines? What’s the deal with those red gates?
🧼 The cleansing ritual at shrinesWhen my Canadian friend Emma visited Tokyo, we stopped by a peaceful shrine surrounded ...
Culture & Customs ⛩️ Japanese Trivia Part 2: What’s the Meaning Behind Torii Gates and the Path to Shrines?
When you visit a shrine in Japan, the first thing you'll notice is a large gate—painted in bright red or made of simple ...
Culture & Customs ⛩️Japanese Trivia Part 1: What’s the Difference Between Shrines and Temples?
When traveling around Japan, it’s common to stumble upon beautiful religious sites—some with bright red gates, others wi...