Continuing on the Wakayama-ken portion of the pilgrim trail, we arrive next at the temple numbered 3 of 33: Kokawadera. This temple is not too far from our previous temple, Kimiidera, and the two make a good combination trip. The image enshrined in Kokawadera is a truly secret image and never put on display,…
Where are they now? This month, alumnus Kevin Shannon from Ireland tells us about his 2007-2008 Hyogo experience when he worked ‘up north’ in Hamasaka and Kasumi, and how it has affected his life and work post JET. What did you do immediately after leaving JET? A lot of not very much really. I…
   While Japanese business has boomed under the policies of Abenomics, doubts have persisted for the average wage earner. Recent developments, however, suggest that the Abe government means business in strengthening the position of labor.             Since sweeping back into office in December 2012’s lower house election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pursued…
Do greet and be greeted by every single hiker you pass. Don’t wear regular sneakers to climb the highest mountain in March (you will have sad wet and cold feet). Do use the free huts to sleep in. Don’t expect running water or electricity at the huts. Do take the ferry to Yakushima…
You may visit Tokushima prefecture for the impressive Naruto whirlpools in the strait between Awaji and Shikoku, but whilst there you can also enjoy an unexpected cultural extravaganza thanks to the Otsuka Museum of Art (ÅŒtsuka Kokusai Bijutsukan). On a bright day in February my friend and I were taken to this museum…
Fireworks for the Ears When asking friends if they happen to be fans of Explosions in the Sky, one of two reactions often occurs. The first, and often more awkward of the two, is that a friend will slightly turn their head in puzzlement, cock an eyebrow, and nervously laugh while they ask for clarification,…
Most people in northern Hyogo know of the old wives’ tale about stink bugs: an autumn with many of those pests guarantees a winter with much snow. When the leaves began to change color, stink bugs invaded school rooms and the homes of the innocent. Sapporo was frosted in picturesque white for the Yuki Matsuri….
Dear Ava, Â It is right after lunch, my stomach is full, and as I lean back in my seat to stretch I scan the staff room and notice most of my coworkers seem to be scanning the backs of their eyelids. In that moment I realize my own desire to snooze on the…
– A guide to Japanese school uniforms One of the negative aspects to an extended stay in Japan is the normalisation of Japanese life that would draw the stares and cameras of many a foreign tourist. Never is this more evident than in the casual acceptance of students dressed in some of the most distinctive…