Picturesque Japan

There is a well-known exercise program in Japan. It's called "Radio Taisou (Radio Exercise." People who were born and raised in Japan definitely know this. The exercise program goes on air at 6:30 am, 8:40 am, noon, and 15:00 on NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). When I was an elementary school student, kids in my neighborhood gather to do this exercise every morning during the summer holiday. Even after growing up, some factory workers do this exercise before work or during the break. Also, there are some local communities to do this exercise together. In the novel "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami has some episodes with this Radio Taiso. Anyway, it's truly well-known stuff. However, my friend from the US didn't know about this (of course). She stayed in Hiroshima for one year to go to high school and she learned this exercise at the school. She believed it was her high school's own exercise. Later, she had a chance to travel to some other ...

In Japan, people cerebrate "Tanabata (七夕)" on July 7. The literal meaning of "Tanabata" is the seventh day of the seventh month of the year. According to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair (male) and Vega (female) are allowed to meet on this day if the sky is clear. For the rest of the year, they are separated by Milky Way. To cerebrate this day, Japanese people write down wishes on a piece of colored paper and decorate bamboo trees. Sometimes, you'll find some cute wishes of kids like "I want to be a squirrel." What would you like to wish?

Hello, travelers. This is Kumi. Let me introduce "Kayariki." Kayariki is a mosquito-coil holder and the very traditional one is pig-shaped. However, you can find some cute ones these days. Here is mine. One day, my dad found a mosquito was resting at the tip of her tail and said "She may be too sweet to kill mosquitoes." Anyway, whenever we see this Kayariki cat, she makes us very happy.