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Winter marches on!
How has your 2025 been so far? Winter continues to keep everything cold, with the rain and wind, and even snow necessitating many layers before venturing outside. However, one thing that we can remember is that every day gets a little bit longer, we've thankfully left the shortest days of the year behind us already! In just a few more months, the flowers will be blooming and the weather will be clearing once again.
The snow is still piled on the ground in Japan, making the country come to life through 'yukigeshiki', scenes in the snow that showcase the beauty of the natural landscape. Imagine wandering the northern Tohoku region where you can see many of the stunning mountains of Japan, all blanketed in sheets of snow. If you are interested in skiing or other outdoor winter sports, there no better time to get your fill of adventure!
While snow might be the biggest thing on everyone's mind at the moment, heading further south might reveal a surprise in the form of early spring! The Kawazuzakura is a special variety of cherry blossom that tends to bloom early in the year, and in Shizuoka Prefecture, there is a cherry blossom festival to celebrate them. The blossom is named after the town of Kawazu, and you can also find the original tree up the banks of the Kawazu River. The famous Sapporo Snow Festival also happened recently, where snow sculptures from your wildest dreams came to life in the Hokkaido capital.
This month we have Ibaraki Prefecture, hot pot, some sakura, and more - let's go!
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The film COTTONTAIL recently released in the UK, we sat down with the star Lily Franky and the director Patrick Dickinson for an interview!
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Hot pot, or nabe, is a great winter dish to enjoy, let's look at some of the many varieties!
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Spring is on the horizon, let's see what the cherry blossoms have in store for 2025!
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Lia from Ryokan Wanderings takes us through the beauty and charm of Mie Prefecture.
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Ibaraki Prefecture is not far from Tokyo, and makes for a perfect day trip or more, read about what Ibaraki has to offer!
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Experience Japanese culture with some samurai tours!
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Peak winter but spring approaches!
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Winter is here and trees are frosty and have shed their leaves, so let's find an appropriate kigo to use for this month's haiku!
Our word this time is 風花! Read as 'kazabana', this word translates to 'a flurry of snow in a clear sky'. Composed of the characters for wind and flower, you can imagine seeing slowflakes blown by the wind and shimmering like flowers in the air. Let's see what sort of haiku we can make!
Haikus are made with a 17 mora combination in 5-7-5 style, with occasional 'kireji' punctuation.
Our first line has our seasonal word and is 5 mora - 風花や (kazabana ya)
Then a 7 mora line - 青春溢れ (seishun afure)
And lastly 5 mora - 子が走る (ko ga hashiru)
Completed, our haiku reads as -
風花や (kazabana ya)
青春溢れ (seishun afure)
子が走る (ko ga hashiru)
Snow in the clear sky,
Youth is abound,
The kids run by.
Haiku writing can be challenging yet fun, have you written one before?
Send a haiku you've made to our Instagram account @visitjapan_uk and we may feature them in future newsletters!
Here's some highlights of what we've learned over the past few months:
1) Hot pot dishes are some of the best things to try during the wintertime in Japan, what's your favourite?
2) Ibaraki Prefecture is one of Tokyo's nearly neighbouring prefectures, with some very exciting things to see and do, have you been before?
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There's lots of Japan related events, shows, and exhibitions happening - Let's see what's going on! |
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- Read about what it's like to ski in Japan from Claie Wilson!
- Cottontail, directed by Patrick Dickinson and starring Lily Franky recently premiered in the UK on 14 February, check your local cinemas for showtimes!
- Japan House London will be opening a new exhibition on 12 March, focusing on Japanese carpentry, entitled 'The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan's Forests'.
- 21 March marks the opening of the Timeout Market Osaka, read here to learn a bit more about some of the chefs and restaurants!
- The Hotel Granvia Hiroshima Southgate will be opening on 24 March, directly above Hiroshima Station!
- It's only a few more months until the start of the Osaka Expo on 13 April, don't forget to visit if you are in the area!
- Starting 1 May, the British Museum will be holding a new exhibition focusing on Utagawa Hiroshige, a famous woodblock print artist of the Edo Period. Entitled 'Hiroshige: artist of the open road', the exhibition will cover the art and legacy of Hiroshige.
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Let's take a quick look at something cool going on in Japan! |
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- Learn about lacquerware under the guide of a master! At lacquerware shop Kinkori Shikkiten, you'll have the opportunity to paint lacquer onto a wooden tray, using the tools of the shop, and experience the techniques of a lacquerware master. Masataka Kinkori will instruct you through the steps to create your own unique piece, which can be sent to you after drying. Kawada town is well known for Echizen lacquerware, and the best spot to learn from a master!
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Hokkaido is one of the best spots of Japan for adventure, outdoor experiences, food, and more. From national parks to city exploration, Hokkaido is a stunning venue all year round. Have you been before?
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That’s it from us for this month!
Keep up with all this and much, much more by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
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