When I moved to Japan last summer I remember spotting a woman dressed in a kimono on the train and thinking to myself “I’ve spotted my first geisha! But why isn’t she wearing her makeup?†Later I was informed of my rookie mistake. In fact, she was no geisha, but rather an ordinary Japanese woman…
Hello Hyogo-ites! By the time you read this, you will have uttered, “atsui ne†or “mushi atsui ne†at least once to anyone who will hear it. Well, ganbare – summer has only just started! For those of you who are returning home this summer though, you will get to leave the oppressive heat and…
今熊野観音寺 (15) and é©å ‚ (19) This month we have another Kyoto double feature! Temples 15 and 19 of the 33 temple pilgrimage are Imakumano Kannon-ji and Kodo. First up is Imakumano Kannon-ji, which literally means “present-day Kumano Kannon temple†and it has strong connections to temple 1 (Seiganto-ji), located in Wakayama in the area…
Wales vs. Japan (Sat 8th June 14:00) On Saturday the 8th June a young Welsh side met a feisty Japan for an exciting first game of Wales’ tour of Japan.  Osaka’s Kintestu Hanazono Stadium, Japan’s oldest dedicated rugby stadium, was the stage for the first game of the Japan-Wales test series. 30,000 rugby fans…
Welcome to another instalment of the Mochi Diaries, Chapter 6 Gomatamago ã”ã¾ãŸã¾ã”! While these guys really aren’t mochi but in fact intricately designed cakes, they are omiyage ãŠåœŸç”£ and so kawaii I couldn’t resist!!! During my last top to æ±äº¬ I picked a box of Gomatamago ã”ã¾ãŸã¾ã” (Lit. Black Sesame Egg) cakes on my way…
This experience hasn’t been easy, but it has easily been the best and most rewarding experience of my life. Always being a commuter student, this was the first time I had truly been on my own. Unlike a lot of participants on the JET Program, I had already been to Japan several times and had…
So long, farewell, ã¾ãŸã“ã‚“ã©, goodbye… I’m still not entirely sure what prompted me to volunteer to edit the Hyogo Times last year, but to whatever neurons fired and prompted me to give it a go, I say thank you. It’s been great fun reading all the articles before the rest of the world, apparently…
As the summer heat comes into bear for another time in Japan, it’s time to say farewell to many of the people we have come to know and love. As I begin my third year on the JET programme, many of the people who I began my journey with have decided to say sayonara to…
I have a confession to make. I am not even close to being able to comprehend that I have less than a month left on my JET contract and house cleaning is suffering as a result. I’m still making lists of things that I need to do, and when I have time to actually do…