Picture of the Week Nio Guardians at Nandai-mon Todai-ji Nara

These two fierce looking guardian statues protect the main entrance to Todai-ji in Nara, which is the 13th century Nandai-mon. The statues were carved in 1203 by the sculptor Unkei, and are more than 8 meters tall. They are considered some of the finest wooden statues in all of Japan, if not the world. They are really impressive and look like they could spring to life at any moment.

Planning That Big Overseas Trip

Cheap flights have meant that more and more people are taking off and heading overseas.

Here is some great advice from the folks at Lonely Planet for planning that big trip.

Song of the Week Kono Chikyu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterundayo! by Morning Musume

This week’s Song of the Week is Kono Chikyu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterundayo! by Morning Musume which has debuted at number 2 on the Japanese Jpop Oricon chart.

Morning Musume (モーニング娘) also called Momusu (モー娘) for short is a Japanese idol girl group managed and produced by Tsunku. The groups name basically means Morning Girls and they are part of the Hello! Project stable. The group has gone through many line-up changes since first formed in 1997. It seems that every year there are new graduations from the group and new auditions bring in new members that it can be hard keeping track of the line-up.

Picture of the Week Halloween in Japan

Halloween in Japan has started gaining in popularity with more and more cities, towns, shopping centers and theme parks displaying colourful Halloween decorations and having fun events. Like most things in Japan, Halloween starts quite early and places will start with the decorations in September through to October.

One of the fun things I enjoy around this time of year in Japan is the Halloween special edition of Japanese treats and snacks. This includes such things as Halloween Pumpkin Kit Kat to Koala no March Halloween.

Annual Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival in Olinda

Spring is upon us in Australia with warmer temperatures and the beautiful spring flowers and blooming cherry blossom trees. In Japan, spring is the time for hanami or cherry blossom viewing. The sakura or cherry blossom is Japan’s unofficial national flower and every March in Japan, thousands of cherry blossom trees come to life as they cover Japan, signifying the start of the annual Hanami season.

The National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria pays homage to this ancient Japanese tradition with their own version of hanami, the Annual Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival with cherry blossom trees captivating the landscape. Enjoy the beauty of the blossoms along with the myriad of other plants such as azaleas, magnolias and rhododendrons.

Song of the Week Fighters by J Soul Brothers

This week’s number one single on the Japanese Jpop Oricon charts is Fighters by J Soul Brothers.

J Soul Brothers started in 1999 before changing their name to Exile in 2001. Exile went on to become one of Japan’s best known groups. J Soul Brothers was later revived by the group’s leader Hiro again in 2007 and merged with Exile in 2009 to form a 14 member group. They released their first studio album on December 2, 2009.

This song reminds me very much of Exile with some cool martial arts thrown in for the video clip.

Picture of the Week Former Kaichi School Matsumoto

The Former Kaichi School in Matsumoto City, Nagano, Japan is a Meiji era school that was founded in 1873. The school was used as a functional school for 90 years and is one of the oldest elementary schools in Japan. The building is a mix of Japanese and Western styles of architecture and was designated an important cultural property in 1961.

In 1965 the former school was opened as a museum of education. The museum inside the fantastic looking building showcases the history of some of the education material and architectural materials of the period. The education materials contain some old textbooks that were used during the Edo period as well as textbooks, diaries and certificates from the Meiji era.

Tsukimi Burger

September in Japan usually brings with it Autumn or Aki (秋) with cooler weather, beautiful fall leaves and Autumn food and drinks. One of my favourite Autumn foods in Japan during this time is the Tsukimi burger. When this starts appearing on The McDonald's menu I know for sure that Autumn has arrived in Japan. The burger is only available for a limited time during the Autumn and is currently on the menu again.

Japan’s Road to Recovery

It has now been 6 months since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami disaster that devastated Japan, but unfortunately Japan is now suffering a second devastation with tourism to the country dropping dramatically since the disaster.

The earthquake and tsunami, followed by the radiation leak in Fukushima caused an instant drop in tourist arrivals in Japan. Arrivals in March were about half those of the same month last year. The number of Australian visitors to Japan had been booming in January and February due to the snow season but also plummeted in March by about 47 per cent.

Song of the Week Call by AAA

This week’s Song of the Week is Call by AAA which has debuted at number 5 on the Japanese Jpop Oricon chart.

AAA known as Triple A or Attack All Around, is a Japanese Pop band signed to the famous Avex Trax label. The group which comprises of both male and female members made their debut in September 2005. Call is the group's 29th single.

Picture of the Week Kamikochi, Nagano, Japan

Kamikochi is a beautiful area that lies in the center of the Northern Japan Alps and has some of the most spectacular scenery in Japan. It has become famous as a base in the Japan Alps for strollers, hikers and climbers with magnificent mountain scenery and lakes. Kamikochi can be visited as either a day trip from Matsumoto or Takayama, but I highly recommend enjoying the pleasures of staying in the mountains in Kamikochi and taking an early morning or late evening walk before the crowds appear.

Easy to Cook Japanese Recipe Omuraisu (Rice in Omelette)

Photo by JanneM

This month's easy to cook Japanese Recipe is Omuraisu. Omuraisu is a popular Japanese dish that can be called a fusion dish (yoshoku) as it combines a classic omelette with chicken rice. It is usually topped with ketchup and is a popular dish at home or in a restaurant.

Song of the Week Flying Get (フライングゲット) by AKB48

This week’s number one single on the Japanese Jpop Oricon charts is Flying Get (フライングゲット) by AKB48.

AKB48 is a Japanese idol girl group created and produced by Yasushi Akimoto. AKB48 are one of the most popular groups in Japan and have achieved the feat of having their last 8 singles top the Jpop Oricon chart.

AKB48 was formed in 2005 and is named after Akihabara, the famous electronic area in Tokyo, where the groups own theatre is located on the 8th floor of a Don Quijote Store. The idea behind the group was to create a theatre based idol group, whose fans could see the girls perform live on a daily basis. AKB48 still performs at the theatre every day, but tickets to the event are hard to come by due to the great demand of fans.

Picture of Week Festival Floats in Takayama

This is one of the four famous yatai or festival floats, displayed at the Takayama Yatai Kaikan (Festival Floats Exhibition Hall).

The yatai, some of which date from the 17th century, are spectacular creations with flamboyant carvings, metalwork and lacquerwork.

The hall is 800 yen to enter and is open from 8am to 5pm.

Events in Japan - Obon

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Obon (お盆) or just Bon (盆) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.