Life

Doyo no Ushi no Hi — the Japanese midsummer eel day — falls on July 26 in 2026. Why Japan eats unagi to beat the heat, from an Edo-era marketing tale to today.

Overhearing strong Nagoya dialect at a local Komeda inspired this mini lesson: dera, umyaa, ebi-furyaa and more, with simple examples to try on your trip.

An honest account from a reluctant exerciser of building a walking habit — and how the Japanese interval walking method (3 min fast, 3 min slow) made it actually stick.

In Japan, convenience store shelves change color every few weeks with the seasons. Sakura pink, then strawberry, then matcha green. Reflections from a local on ichigo ichie — and matcha donuts.