Letter from Japan

In Part 1, I showed you some ukiyo-e and asked you to imagine what would happen if the pictures could move.

Ukiyo-e is a type of Japanese art that became popular during the 江戸時代 (えどじだい, Edo period) , from the 17th to the 19th century.

When I visited Ichinohe-machi in Iwate Prefecture , I found a lovely little gelato shop called Yuki Akari . The name evokes the feeling of snow and light.

So, for a little while longer, I’ll be bringing you some more Letters from Japan. 🇯🇵

Do you know 和菓子 (わがし, wagashi) ? Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets, often made from あんこ (anko), a sweet red bean paste, together with ingredients such as rice…

When I think of summer in Japan, one of the first things that comes to mind is 夏祭り (なつまつり, natsu matsuri) , a summer festival.

A few days ago, we visited a small summer festival at a local show home. It wasn’t a large event, but it was full of fun activities for…

Last week, I spent the day in Kinugawa with my family. It was a hot and humid summer (なつ, natsu) day, the kind of weather that reminds me…