• Poster
  • Image
  • Share
  • Tokyo
  • Tag

Community Posts

Dylan Gibson
Mar. 28, 2022
It's finally starting to feel like spring. Loving the cherry blossoms around Tokyo already, it just needs to get a bit warmer. Temperature feels a lot more up and down this year, but maybe it's just my imagination. Hoping I can get out this weekend and enjoy some more views outside of Tokyo. I'm not sure how much the cherry blossoms have bloomed in Saitama, but I enjoyed seeing all the photos and videos of the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival. It's a bit too far/expensive for a day trip 6 hours on a train doesn't sound fun, but it'd be nice to see them one day. From my knowledge, the cherry blossoms tend to stay in bloom longer there so it'd be nice to see them eventually. Either way, I'm just happy spring is finally here!
View More
  • Japan
  • Nature
  • Spring
  • Cherry blossoms
  • Saitama Prefecture
  • Kawazu
  • Tokyo
開智国際日本語学校(Kaichi International School of Japanese)
Mar. 21, 2022
[English/Japanese] The day before yesterday, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that cherry blossoms had bloomed in Tokyo. In Japan, the weather forecast at this time of the year tells not only the temperature and weather, but also the cherry blossoms. Hanami, a traditional Japanese event, began 1,300 years ago and is popular among foreign tourists. In this issue, we will introduce the etiquette of Hanami. 1 The star of the show is the cherry blossoms Cherry blossom viewing means eating and drinking under the cherry trees. Cherry trees are very delicate plants. When eating, do not place a sheet at the base of the cherry tree. The base of the cherry tree is where it breathes. Please place the sheet away from it. Also, do not break the branches of cherry trees just because of their beautiful blossoms. Cherry blossoms are a plant that easily decomposes. You may also have to pay a fine for "damage to property" if you break a cherry blossom branch. Please be careful. 2 Rules of the park During the holidays at this time of year, the number of people viewing cherry blossoms in the park increases greatly. Some of them are also lit up at night, making them popular date spots. Each park has different rules, so be sure to check the park's rules before going hanami. For example, some parks prohibit the bringing of alcoholic beverages, while others do not allow the use of fire. Also, be sure to take your trash home with you and clean up properly before you finish your hanami. Even though it is spring, the nights can get very cold, so be sure to take warm clothing. 3 Cherry blossom motif goods Cherry blossom viewing is not limited to parks. During this season, you can see many cherry blossom-inspired decorations in the city and in stores. At cafes, you can enjoy cherry blossom latte art and pink-colored cakes. At general stores, you can find products with pictures of cherry blossoms. Since they are only available during this season, they are popular as souvenirs. Please look for them! Hachioji, where our school is located, has many famous cherry blossom viewing spots. Some parks are lit up at night, so be sure to visit them! The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that cherry blossoms had blossomed in Tokyo the day before yesterday. In Japan, the weather forecast at this time of year tells not only the temperature and weather, but also the state of the cherry blossoms. The traditional event of the Japan, "cherry blossom viewing", began 1300 years ago and is popular with foreign tourists. This time, I will introduce the manners of cherry blossom viewing. 1 The main role is cherry blossoms Cherry blossom viewing refers to eating and drinking under the cherry blossom trees. Cherry is a very delicate plant. When eating, do not put a sheet on the base of the cherry blossoms. The base of the cherry is the place to breathe. Lay a sheet at a distance. Also, you should not break off branches just because the cherry blossoms are beautiful. Cherry is a perishable plant. Also, if you break a cherry tree branch, you may have to pay a fine as a "property damage crime". Let's be careful. 2 Park rules On holidays at this time, the number of people watching cherry blossoms in the park increases a lot. In addition, some places are lit up at night, making it a popular date spot. The rules differ from park to park, so be sure to check the rules of the park before cherry blossom viewing. For example, there are places where alcohol is prohibited and fire is not allowed. Also, take your trash home properly and clean it properly before finishing the cherry blossom viewing. Even in spring, the nights are very cold, so don't forget to take measures to protect yourself from the cold. 3 Goods with cherry blossom motif Cherry blossom viewing is not limited to parks. During this season, you can see many cherry blossom-inspired decorations in the city and shops. At the café, you can eat cherry blossom latte art and pink cakes. In general stores, products with pictures of cherry blossoms are lined up in the store. Since it is limited to this season, it is also popular as a souvenir. Please look for it. Hachioji, where our school is located, has many famous cherry blossom spots. Some parks are lit up at night, so be sure to visit them!
View More
  • Japan
  • Japanese-language school
  • International students
  • Study abroad
  • Cherry blossom viewing
  • Cherry blossoms
  • Cherry blossoms at night
  • Hachioji
開智国際日本語学校(Kaichi International School of Japanese)
Feb. 7, 2022
[English/Japanese] Snow is predicted to fall in Tokyo this week. In Japan, there are many tourist destinations where winter sports are popular, such as Hokkaido, but in Tokyo, snowfall is not that common and the city is not prepared to handle it. As a result, even a 5 cm accumulation of snow can cause many problems. In this article, I will tell you how to deal with snow in Tokyo. 1 Transportation When it snows, train schedules are often disrupted. Trains may be cancelled or the number of trains may be reduced, so you may be late for work. Try to leave your house early on snowy days. Roads can also be crowded, and few people buy snow tires for the rare snowfall in a year. As a result, many people drive with regular tires on snowy days, which can cause slip accidents. Try not to walk near cars on snowy days. 2 The day after it snows Unlike Hokkaido, the snow that falls in Tokyo has a high moisture content. Therefore, the day after a snowfall, the roads are often icy. Since there are many buildings in Tokyo, there is no sunlight and the snow may not melt even after a week. Some people slip on the icy roads and get seriously injured because of it. On the day after a snowfall, try to walk in the sunshine. 3What to wear What you wear the next day is more important than what you wear when it is snowing. The roads are very slippery, so it is best to wear long boots or other non-slip shoes. You should also wear gloves because the ice can cut your hands if you slip and fall on them. A hat is also necessary to protect your head. A backpack or other bag that allows you to keep both hands free is also a good idea. If you don't have boots, there is a life hack to prevent slipping by putting an adhesive bandage on the back of your sneakers. Please give it a try. Many of the students at our school come from warm countries. Some of them have caught colds from playing in the snow because it was their first time to see snow. Please play in the snow in moderation. This time, we are planning to spread snow-melting agent in front of the dormitory. If your neighbors are having a hard time shoveling snow, let's help them out. It's also a chance to make friends with Japanese people. Also, it's best not to go outside too much on snowy days, so get your shopping done as soon as possible! Snow is forecast to fall in Tokyo this week. In Japan, there are many tourist spots where winter sports are popular, such as Hokkaido, but it does not snow that often in Tokyo, so the city of Tokyo is not equipped to cope with snow. Therefore, even if 5 cm of snow accumulates, various problems will occur. This time, I would like to tell you about snow countermeasures in Tokyo. 1 Transportation When it snows, train schedules are often disturbed. Trains may be suspended or the number of trains will be reduced, so you may be late for the company. Try to leave the house early on snowy days. Roads can also be crowded. Because of the snow that may or may not fall in a year, few people buy tires for snow. Therefore, many people drive on ordinary tires on snowy days, and some people have slip accidents. On snowy days, try not to walk near cars as much as possible. 2 The day after the snow fell Unlike Hokkaido, the snow that falls in Tokyo is moisture. Therefore, the roads are often icy the day after the snow falls. There are many buildings in Tokyo, so the sunlight may not shine and the snow may not melt even after one week. Some people slip on icy roads and get seriously injured because of it. The day after it snows, choose a path that gets as much sunlight as possible. 3 Clothing What you wear the next day is more important than when it's snowing. The road is very slippery, so wear shoes that are not slippery, such as long ones. Also, wear gloves as ice can cut your hands when you slip and get your hands. You will also need a hat to protect your head. Also, it is good to have a backpack or other bag that can be used with both hands. There is a life hack that people who do not have boots can put adhesive plasters on the back of their sneakers to prevent them from slipping. Give it a try. At our school, many students come from warm countries. Some people took off their shoes and played in the snow for the first time to see snow, catching a cold. Let's play in the snow in moderation. This time, we plan to sow snow melting agent in front of the dormitory. If your neighbors are having a hard time shoveling snow, help them. It's also a chance to get to know Japan people. Also, it's better not to go outside too much on snowy days, so be sure to finish your shopping early!
View More
  • Japan
  • Life in Japan
  • Japanese-language school
  • International students
  • Study abroad
  • Snow
  • Winter
  • Tokyo
Dylan Gibson
Feb. 2, 2022
Was passing through Komagome the other day and stumbled across this quaint little shrine in front of the station. Apparently it was established in the Edo Period but didn't actually look like a shrine until the Meiji Period. It's also dedicated to Okuninushi who has a lot of different mythology surrounding him, but according to what I could find, he was the head of the gods on earth. There are also a lot of legends and folklore about him in the Kojiki as well it seems, the most interesting sounding one being 'The White Hare of Inaba" 因幡の白兎 where he apparently wins over a princess that his brothers wanted to married and then is subsequently killed by them with the use of a flaming boulder and he is then brought back to life by the gods after his mother goes up to heaven to ask another deity to bring him back, after which he is brought back to life as a handsome man. And that's why I like reading about Japanese mythology lol. So much interesting stuff to read about
View More
  • Japan
  • Tokyo
  • Shrine
  • Torii
Dylan Gibson
Jan. 21, 2022
Was walking through Shimokitazawa the other day and found some really cool street art on the shutter of some shop or something not really sure what the building was. Just thought it was cool to see this. Don't see much street art in Japan, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as usually it involves vandalism, but this doesn't look to be vandalism, although I could be wrong. Either way I think it's a nice improvement to the empty shutters and definitely adds a little spice to the area. Aesthetically I'm a huge fan since I enjoy learning about Japanese history, especially samurai, swords, etc., even if this is a fantastical rendition of the likes you'd find in some anime or manga. Shimokitazawa is a pretty cool place though. It seems like a lot of younger people go shopping in the area and there's a lot of restaurants as well. If you're into coffee, cafes, and unique shops with trinkets, etc. it's an enjoyable place to visit. Really trendy
View More
  • Japan
  • Tokyo
  • Art
  • Shopping
  • Cafe
  • Coffee
  • Walk
Dylan Gibson
Jan. 18, 2022
Decided to donate some clothes I wasn't wearing anymore over the weekend so I decided to go to the Second Street in Minami-Senju. Managed to find some cool stuff along the way. I was walking from Minowabashi and saw this nice looking temple, apparently called Koshunin 公春院. It was a really lovely spot and I would have liked to take more photos but I had some luggage with me and also wanted to avoid taking any photos of the tombstones as I thought it might be rude. It seems the temple focus on memorial services though and looked like a nice place. The next spot I came across was just a really small shrine that seemed so randomly placed that I wanted to take a picture of it. There wasn't much space inside the shrine are so it was quite difficult to get a decent photo, but I did the best that I could and tried to take a photo from the side street next to it which was also incredibly narrow lol. The last thing I ended up finding was a statue of Matsuo Basho! I'd not been to Minami-Senju as I've never really had a reason to go there, but I saw the statue from the corner of my eye and thought "Hmm I wonder if that's Basho" and sure enough it was. It even has "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" 奥の細道 written below it. Also, apparently there is debate about which "Senju" he started at Adachi or Arakawa, so this is one of the statues depicting the place where he started his journey! It ended up being a pretty interesting walk. I'd like to visit the area again as there was a ton of cool stuff.
View More
  • Japan
  • Photography
  • Arakawa City
  • Temple
  • Shrine
  • Torii
  • History
Dylan Gibson
Jan. 6, 2022
Was walking past a park in Arakawa the other day and came across this interesting statue. I think the name is read as Honda Takatomo 本田 貴侶 but it was difficult to find any information. I kept finding stuff showing the same statue but instead of "聖なるもののリピドー" they all show "聖なるもののリビドー" I'm not sure what the differences are though. Perhaps there are multiple statues in different locations? All the ones I saw referred to this statue in Arakawa though so maybe there's a misprint or something? Also I'm not sure what "リピドー" or "リビドー" means, but if anyone has any idea about what the statue's meaning is I'd love to hear it! Either way it's a nice looking statue. I always enjoy finding things like this around different parts of Japan, they really add to the atmosphere of the city.
View More
  • Japan
  • Tokyo
  • Arakawa City
  • Park
  • Art

Recommended Articles