Uesugizasa Kamon, the Japanese family crest, indicates a family’s origins. Unlike the coat of arms, it doesn’t belong to an individual but to a family. Foreigners can have one if they wish...
Hiroko Matsuyama
Japanology
Chado: History of Japanese Tea Rituals with Zen Spirit
Japanese tea ceremony, a woman in kimono holding a tea cup Chado – “The Way of Tea” or “Chano-yu” aka the Japanese tea ceremony is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial...
Changing Role of Miko in Japanese Culture Over Time
Young Miko at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo on a clear morning in Spring. A Miko is a shrine maiden or a supplementary priestess trained to perform sacred tasks in Japan. Miko are Japanese female shamans who have long been...
