Culture
History, traditions and context about Japan: to understand the country beyond the surface.
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17 August 2026
Ryokan: how a Japanese inn works
What to expect when staying in a ryokan: check-in, yukata, kaiseki dinner in your room, sleeping on a futon, onsen baths and the etiquette rules nobody explains.
By Yen & Zen
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15 August 2026
Izakaya: the complete guide to the Japanese pub
How an izakaya works: the otoshi, how to order, the dishes you shouldn't skip, how drinking works, how to call the server and how the bill is paid. Everything you need to walk in with confidence.
By Yen & Zen
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9 August 2026
Karaoke in Japan: how it works, what it costs and why it's not what you think
Japanese karaoke isn't a bar with a stage: it's private rooms, food and drink service, and you can go alone. A complete guide to understanding the system.
By Yen & Zen
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2 August 2026
What annoys residents in Japan about tourists (and what no one says out loud)
From Mario go-karts in Shibuya to giant suitcases on the Yamanote at rush hour: what tourists do that irritates people who actually live here, explained from the inside.
By Yen & Zen
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31 July 2026
Pokémon in Yokohama: the Pikachu Outbreak, the Pokémon Center and everything else
A complete guide to what Yokohama offers Pokémon fans: the annual Pikachu Outbreak event in August, the Pokémon Center Yokohama, and where to find quality merchandise.
By Yen & Zen
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18 July 2026
Obon: Japan's festival for honouring the dead
What Obon is, when it takes place, what happens during the holiday period and how it affects travellers and residents in Japan. The ancestor festival that isn't what it sounds like.
By Yen & Zen
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11 July 2026
Hanabi: Japan's summer fireworks festivals
What hanabi are, how Japan's fireworks festivals work, the most important ones and how to see them properly.
By Yen & Zen
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3 July 2026
Tanabata: Japan's star festival and the summer tradition of written wishes
What Tanabata is, when and where to celebrate it, and the biggest festivals in Japan. With personal experience at the Hiratsuka Tanabata.
By Yen & Zen
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15 June 2026
Japan's national football team: thirty years of a project nobody saw coming
From having no professional league to beating Germany and Spain at the same World Cup. The story of how Japan built one of the most interesting national teams in the world in under three decades.
By Yen & Zen
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1 June 2026
June 2 in Yokohama: 167 years since the port opened to the world
On June 2, 2026, Yokohama marks 167 years since its port opened in 1859. What happened then, why it's a school holiday in the city, and how locals celebrate the anniversary.
By Yen & Zen
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3 May 2026
Japanese era year converter: what year is it in Japan and how to convert any year (2026)
Convert any Japanese era year to the Western (Gregorian) calendar and back. Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho, Meiji, full reference table, conversion formula, and a free online calculator.
By Yen & Zen