日本文化

You might have had sweet memories in your childhood when you got penny candies from the pocket money that your parents gave you. That excitement when you go home with the candies you got would be unforgettable. Penny candy is called “dagashi (駄菓子(だがし))” in Japanese. Dagashi has a huge variety of types and has a long history. We will introduce Japanese penny candies in this article. Let’s take a look at sweet Japanese memories! What is dagashi 駄菓子(だがし)? Dagashi (駄菓子(だがし)) are cheap candies and snacks for children. They have many varieties and each one is packaged in a colorful wrapping ...

Boy's Day / Tango no sekku May 5th is the national holiday Children's Day, and is also the day for a traditional Japanese festival for boys called 端午の節句 (Tango no sekku, Boy's Day in English). 端午の節句 (Tango no sekku/Boy's Day) is an important day to celebrate a boy's healthy growth. Japanese people display samurai dolls in their houses and carp streamers outside. They also have some special foods. The custom of Tango no sekku is derived from ancient China. In the ancient Chinese calendar, May is called 午 (go), which means the horse in the Chinese zodiac. Tango (端午) means ...

Onomatopoeia is great way to express your feelings when you can't use ordinary words. Japanese has more than 4000 onomatopoeia! In our previous article, we shared about onomatopoeia for foods that are really common for Japanese people. Please check the link below if you haven't read it yet! Japanese onomatopoeia for food ! -Part1- - Nyapanese This article is our part 2 for food onomatopoeia. These onomatopoeia are for Japanese unique foods! JustinaWe will also share about onomatopoeia for the taste of food! You can understand how to say spiciness in Japanese onomatopoeia too!Atsuya Japanese onomatopoeia for food つるつる (tsuru-tsuru) ...

Crunch crunch, munch munch. There are many sounds you make when you eat or drink. Words that express sound are called onomatopoeia, and they don't just exist in English! It is said that Japanese actually has 4500 onomatopoeia! But here's the interesting part: they're not just for sounds! Japanese also has onomatopoeia to express motions, looks, condition, or how you feel. In regards to food, these can be jiggling or melty things. The second type of onomatopoeia are called mimetic words, or ideophones. They represent something that has no sound. For the rest of this article, we will refer to ...

“鬼(おに)は外(そと)！福(ふく)は内(うち)！(Demons out ! Luck in!)” In the Setsubun festival, Japanese people say 鬼(おに)は外(そと)！福(ふく)は内(うち)！and throw beans out opened doors and windows to drive away evil spirits and bring in good fortune. 節分(せつぶん) (Setsubun)  is one of the most well-known spring events for Japanese people. In this article, you will understand how to enjoy Setsubun and all about Setsubun’s rules, culture, and history! Justina I know about throwing beans during Setsubun! Actually, Japanese people do many things other than throwing beans during Setsubun! Atsuya What does 節分(せつぶん)  (Setsubun) mean? The original meaning of 節分(せつぶん) (Setsubun) is “the day before the equinox or ...