Articles

Koto kneeling beside a red-carpeted display of hina dolls with the emperor and empress on top, paper lanterns, and pink, white and green hishi-mochi

Hinamatsuri: Japan's Doll Festival and the Meaning of Hina Dolls

Every March 3, families in Japan display tiers of elegant dolls and wish for their daughters' health and happiness. Here's what Hinamatsuri means, who each doll is, and what people eat.

Koto smiling as she opens a red patterned gift box full of rice crackers, wrapped sweets and a tea packet

snacks

Japanese Snack Boxes Compared: What's Inside and Which to Pick

Bokksu, Sakuraco or TokyoTreat? A simple guide to what each Japanese snack box focuses on, who it suits, and what to check before you subscribe.

Koto presenting a row of six glass cups of Japanese tea in different colors, from pale green to reddish brown

tea

Japanese Tea Types Explained: Sencha, Gyokuro, Hojicha & More

A simple map of Japanese green teas — how each one is grown and made, what it tastes like, and how to brew it — so you know exactly which tea to buy next.

Koto resting her chin in her hands at a table with leaf-wrapped sakura mochi, cherry-blossom cookies and a cup of pink sakura tea

snacks

Sakura Season Treats: 12 Cherry Blossom Flavors to Try at Home

From sakura mochi to salted blossom tea, here are 12 pink treats Japan enjoys every spring — what they taste like, where they come from, and how to try them at home.

Koto in a sage-green kimono kneeling in a quiet tea room, reaching out with both hands to receive a tea bowl from a host

experiences

Tea Ceremony Experiences in Kyoto & Tokyo: What to Expect

Thinking of joining a Japanese tea ceremony on your trip? Here's what happens step by step, how to behave as a guest, what to wear, and how to choose a good experience.

Koto and three friends in kimono laughing and sharing rice balls and bento boxes on a blue picnic sheet under full-bloom cherry trees

seasonal

Hanami Guide: How Japanese People Celebrate Cherry Blossoms

Picnics under pink trees, lantern-lit night viewing and a nationwide blossom forecast. Here's what hanami is, when to go, the etiquette, and how to join in.

Koto presenting two bowls of matcha — one vivid green, one duller olive — next to a matcha latte and a matcha cookie

tea

Ceremonial vs Culinary Matcha: Which Grade Should You Buy?

"Ceremonial" isn't an official grade. Here's what the labels really mean, how to judge matcha quality yourself, and which kind to buy for drinking, lattes or baking.

Koto in a sage-green kimono whisking matcha in a tea bowl at a low table, with an iron kettle and a tea caddy beside her

tea

How to Make Matcha the Traditional Way: The Tools You Actually Need

A step-by-step guide to whisking a smooth, frothy bowl of matcha at home — which tools matter, which you can skip, and the mistakes that make matcha bitter.

Koto, in a sage-green kimono, smiling and holding a bowl of frothy matcha at a table with a bamboo whisk and tea caddy, tea fields visible through the window

tea

What Is Matcha? The Japanese Tea Ceremony Origins Explained

Matcha isn't just green tea powder. Here's how it's grown, why it's ground on stone, and how it became the heart of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Koto laughing as she throws roasted soybeans from a wooden box at a cartoon red oni running out of the door into the snow

seasonal

Setsubun: Why Japanese People Throw Beans at Demons Every February

Every early February, families in Japan throw roasted soybeans and shout "Demons out, luck in!" Here's what Setsubun means, how it's celebrated, and how to try it at home.