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Nature & Seasons
Seasonal traditions and the Japanese calendar. Pick a theme and learn the small cultural cues that make everyday life in Japan easier.
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Why do people picnic under cherry trees for just one or two weeks each spring?Nature & SeasonsWhy is everything—coffee, snacks, cosmetics—suddenly 'sakura flavor' or 'autumn edition'?Nature & SeasonsWhat is tsuyu, and why does everyone talk about the weather so much in June?Nature & SeasonsWhy do people travel and crowd temples just to look at red autumn leaves?Nature & SeasonsWhy do people throw roasted beans and shout at a demon on February 3rd?Nature & SeasonsWhat are these summer festivals with food stalls, drums and people in cotton kimono — and why are there so many?Nature & SeasonsWhy does the whole country shut down over New Year — and what do all the special foods and decorations mean?Nature & SeasonsWhy is Halloween here all about adults in costume — with no kids trick-or-treating?Nature & SeasonsChristmas here means KFC buckets and romantic dates — and everyone works on the 25th?Nature & SeasonsWhy do women give men chocolate on Valentine's Day — even to their coworkers — and what is 'White Day'?Nature & Seasons
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