Japanese Culture
The Complete Guide to Sarashi: Japan’s Traditional Binding Cloth and Its Many Uses Today
Japanese Buddhism
Japanese Traditions Do Torii Gates Only Belong to Shinto Shrines? Understanding Japan’s Interwoven Sacred Spaces
Do torii gates belong only to Shinto shrines? Explore Japan’s unique religious history of Shinbutsu-Shugo and why torii sometimes appear at Buddhist temples too.
Japanese Traditions The Meaning of Flowers in Japanese Buddhist Offerings: Honoring the Departed Through Symbolism and Beauty
Discover the meaning behind flowers offered to the deceased in Japanese Buddhist tradition, and how this quiet ritual expresses lasting love and reverence.
Japanese Culture Higan: Japan’s Buddhist Tradition of Honoring Ancestors at the Equinox
Learn the meaning and significance of Higan, the Japanese Buddhist tradition of honoring ancestors during the equinox.
Japanese Culture Hanamatsuri: Japan’s Flower Festival Celebrating the Birth of Buddha
Celebrate Hanamatsuri, Japan’s springtime festival of flowers, tea, and compassion. Discover how this Buddhist tradition brings mindfulness and joy to people of all ages.
Japanese History En no Gyōja: The Mystical Founder of Shugendō and Master of Japan’s Sacred Mountains
Discover the story of En no Gyōja, the founder of Shugendō, whose legendary mountain path blends Buddhism, Shinto, and asceticism into a uniquely Japanese spiritual tradition.