WAGASHI japanese Confectionery

WITH CANDY , as with so much in modern Japan, Western exists side by side with Japanese. Although it is as distinctively Japanese as the wor... Read more »

NIHON RYORI Japanese Cuisine

WESTERNERS who come to Japan often find that Japanese food is not what they had expected. Although in recent years Japanese restaurants have... Read more »

RYOKAN Japanese Inns

ALTHOUGH it is undoubtedly true that the charm of Japanese inns (ryokan) is quickly disappearing because of their rising prices and gradual... Read more »

ONSEN Hot Springs

WHEN ASKED to offer their idea of an ideal holiday trip, many Japanese, especially those of the older generation, are likely to mention a q... Read more »

PACHINKO japanese Pinball Game

PACHINKO , a vertical pinball game, is said to have originated in Nagoya during the bleak days after World War II. It is not difficult to im... Read more »

HANAFUDA Flower Cards

IF YOU ask a Japanese to name the most popular card games in the country, he might pick the Western games of bridge or poker as his first g... Read more »

ORIGAMI Paper Folding

CHRISTMAS shoppers along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue have been treated to fantastic displays over the years: trees, Santas and angels, all... Read more »

JAN KEN Hand Games

JANKEN is a popular game among Japanese children. They use the game as a way to decide who will be counted "out" or who will be e... Read more »

GO & SHOGI japanese Board Games

BOTH go and shogi are games that require the power of concentration and an adept mind. These games have been played by Japanese for hundreds... Read more »