The geisha. Perhaps no other subject about Japan has been so obscured by myth, distorted by half-truths, and twisted by Hollywood films than the long, secretive and honorable culture of the geisha. The tiny fragment… Read More
You can always get tea-lovers talking by posing the question: What’s the difference between Japanese and Chinese teas? There are hundreds of related questions based on this one, like “Are Japanese teas better-tasting than Chinese… Read More
Japanese culture has been called “the great unknown” by more than one Western historian. The nation combines all the mysteries of Asia in one basket. Its historical geographic and political isolation have played a huge… Read More
There are so many different varieties of Japanese tea that it’s sometimes hard to tell them apart just by their names. The word “gyokuro” literally translates as “dew of jade,” or “dew of the jewel.”… Read More
Aromotherapy is an alternative form of health care that has been shown to have all sorts of positive effects on the human body and mind. Stress, depression, memory problems and low energy levels are some… Read More
Health and fitness apps are heading toward a record year for 2017, if recent trends are any indication. The half-billion dollar industry is set to quadruple in value within the next three years. Exercise, general… Read More
Here’s tea expert Shunan Teng talking about the second most consumed beverage in the world after water. From origins to its role in contemporary culture, ladies and gents, here’s the history of tea.
For more than 4,000 years, people have used the practice of qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”) for health, longevity, disease prevention and as a meditation aid. The literal meaning of the term translates from the original Chinese… Read More
Two of the world’s most popular blenders are made by marketing segment rivals Vitamix Corporation, headquartered in Olmstead Township, Ohio, and Blendtec, Inc., based in Orem, Utah. Blendtec is a subsidiary of a larger firm,… Read More
After a long slide in popularity, from the 1980s until the early 2000s, sake is now making a huge comeback in Japan. (In modern English, the word is no longer written with an accent mark,… Read More
