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Tsukimi: The Autumn Moon-Viewing Festival in Japan
It’s finally autumn, the season of golden leaves, crisp air, spooky creatures, delicious food, and Tsukimi. Tsukimi (月見), also known as Otsukimi (お月見), is a traditional mid-autumn moon (月) viewing (見) festival in…
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DIY Japanese Summer Festival (Natsumatsuri) at Home
Natsumatsuri (夏祭り) means “Summer Festival” and is one of the best parts of summer in Japan. People wear beautiful yukata and jinbei, play games, eat sweets like kakigori and chocobanana, and munch on…
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Kodomo No Hi (Children’s Day): Celebrating Children in Japan
Every year on May 5th, Japan wraps up its Golden Week holidays with Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日) or Children’s Day. As this Japanese holiday celebrates children, I thought I would share a bit…
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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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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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First Birthday Traditions in Japan: Isshou Mochi and Erabitori
In July this year, my daughter turned one! Where has the time gone?! I can’t believe a year ago I was recovering from a C-section with a tiny new person in my life…
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Hinamatsuri (Girls Festival): A Day to Celebrate Girls in Japan
In February 2019, my husband and I found out that we were going to have a baby girl. I remember feeling especially excited because around that time of year there were many beautiful…
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Baby’s First New Year’s in Japan
Ever since my husband and I moved back to Japan, we have spent every New Year’s at his hometown in Hiroshima. It’s something I always look forward to and this year was especially…
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Baby Traditions in Japan: Omiyamairi and Okuizome
Two weeks ago, my in-laws made the journey to Tokyo for my daughter’s omiyamairi and okuizome. Omiyamairi (お宮参り) is a Japanese tradition in which newborns visit a Shinto shrine for the first time. This…
