Visitors to Japan often ask whether they’ll be able to “get by” with speaking only English and/or just a few words of Japanese during their stay. The short answer to that question is yes. In… Read More
Is English Japan’s Second Language?
Category: Lifestyle
The Geisha of Japan: Mired in Myth, Steeped in Tradition
Perhaps no single topic about Japan’s culture is more obscured by myth, misinformation and urban legend than the women who call themselves geisha. The so-called “geisha culture” has been a key part of Japan’s history,… Read More
The Japan List: 15 Memorable Things to do on Your Trip
Surprisingly few Westerners ever make a trip to Japan, but the ones who do never seem to stop talking about what they saw and did while there. For non-Asians especially, the culture shock factor is… Read More
Tea Brewing Tips, Tricks and Secrets
Volumes have been written on how to coax the best flavor out of tea leaves using special brewing methods. For the average tea drinker, however, it is good to know just a few of the… Read More
World Tea Expo 2016 Set for June in Las Vegas
One of the biggest stories in the world tea trade is the choice of Las Vegas, Nevada, as the host for the 2016 World Tea Expo. Industry movers and shakers will head to the North… Read More
Japan’s Manga Culture Lives On
Japanese comics are called manga, from a word that combines the meanings of “impromptu” and “pictures.” Popularized during the Occupation after WW2, these simplistic stories told in pictures with minimal script are a huge business… Read More
The Matcha Tea Infographic That Tells the Whole Story
What exactly are the benefits of matcha tea compared to other green teas and beverages in general? There is plenty of research and documentation about matcha tea and how it compares to similar drinks. Unfortunately, the… Read More
An Introduction to Nepali Tea
In a global tea market that has been thriving for more than a century, Nepal is a relatively new player. That does not mean the small nation didn’t make an effort to become a major… Read More
Top Trend for 2016: Matcha Tea
According the international media, matcha tea is set to be one of the biggest things in worldwide beverage culture for the coming year. Most food and drink trends have very short life spans; that is… Read More
Japan’s Brave New World: Face Masks and Robots
Japan is a land of paradox: old wrapped in new, the religious alongside the secular, Westernized yet traditionally Asian. There isn’t a corner or Japanese social life that is untouched by this dichotomy, a daunting… Read More