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Earthquake Preparedness in Japan with Children
Last Saturday night (February 13th, 2021), I was sitting at the kitchen table and texting away on my phone when an emergency alarm starting blaring from it, signaling an impending earthquake. As this…
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Setsubun: Casting Out Demons for Good Fortune in Japan
Every year at the beginning of February in Japan, people celebrate setsubun (節分), a day to cast out demons in order to bring in good luck for the year. This tradition is particularly…
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Recipe: Okara Pancakes for Babies and Toddlers
When my daughter turned 9 months, I was very excited to start introducing her to different kinds of food and finally make something new for breakfast — pancakes. I initially used Wakodo’s ready-made…
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Gift Giving in Japan: Uchiiwai (内祝い)
A while back, I wrote an article about my recommendations for Japanese gifts for babies, and at the end, I mentioned a very important point — if you’re a parent-to-be or parent who…
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Undoukai (Sports Day) at a Japanese Daycare
Last month, my daughter (Baby A) had her very first Sports Day (運動会 ・ undoukai) at daycare! Sports Day is an event held by schools in Japan, usually in the spring or fall,…
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Japanese Children’s Songs: Chouchou (Butterfly)
Happy New Year, everyone! My first post of 2021 is about another Japanese children’s song (童謡・douyou) called ちょうちょう (Chouchou or Butterfly). “Chouchou” is one of the most famous children’s songs in Japan with…
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Japanese Children’s Songs: ぞうさん (Mr. Elephant)
I’m excited to announce another new series on my blog looking at Japanese children’s songs! Back when I was pregnant with my daughter, I learned that alongside reading picture books, singing to your…
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Japanese and English Christmas Picture Books for Babies and Toddlers
There’s nothing better during winter than curling up on the couch with a good book — well, except for curling up on the couch with a good book and a snuggly little baby…
