Category: Japanese Culture

The Miyazaki International Festival is looking for submissions and performances!

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Click to see the event flyer!

Hey MAJETers! If you read the “Plaza News” (which you should, there’s a lot of good stuff in there and Heyne works hard on it every month 😉 ), you may have already heard about this event. But just in case you haven’t, the 11th Annual Miyazaki International Festival will be held on Saturday, December 10th! There will be many events taking place, including a Japanese speech contest, a screening of the film “Hafu,” and hands-on activities. The Miyazaki International Foundation (MIF) would be very happy if MAJETers would come to the event and meet others living in Miyazaki. Continue reading →

MAJET’s 1st Sports Day!

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Saturday, October 1st, 2016 marked MAJET’s very first Undokai! All week beforehand, we were worried that it would rain, and were even preparing to reschedule the event. We had faith, however, and when we gathered at Oyodo River that morning it actually turned out to be a beautiful, bright sunny day (albeit a bit hot for October). Everyone was pumped up and ready for the day’s activities! Continue reading →

Fawning Over Fall!

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It might be hard to believe, but Fall has arrived here in southern Kyushu.  Some may cry out, “LIES, MAJET! It can’t be fall just yet! I haven’t seen the leaves change one bit!”  Others may groan, “I guess I’ll have to wait till spring to explore the natural beauty of Miyazaki.”  Well, fear not my friends! MAJET is here to help!  Come join us up in northern Miyazaki for MAJET’s Fawning Over Fall event! Continue reading →

Tano Taiko Experience

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Are you looking for a new extracurricular activity? Have you ever wanted to try playing taiko? If so, we have the opportunity for you!

The Amadaiko drum is a treasure of Miyazaki City. The Tano Amadaiko Preservation Association holds a Tano Amadaiko Class from 20:00 to 22:00 at the Tano Densho Geinoukan (map) every Saturday night, and they are very keen to share their class with some foreigners!

To help gain more interest and give people a chance to try playing taiko, the Association is holding a special Amadaiko Experience Class at the Miyazaki Performing Arts Festival this November! This event is open to anyone, but only 10 people may participate, so you must send in an application. If you’re interested in participating, please check out the event details and application guidelines below! Continue reading →

12 Delicious Reasons to Move to Japan

Today we share a guest post from Nobeoka ALT Makaya. You can read the original post in her and her husband Jon’s blog, Moore Gaijin, here.

Japanese food is crazy good. And here in Miyazaki, famous for its progressive culinary scene, we eat like kings and queens. We have had the pleasure of enjoying the local flavors along with some good ol’ traditional dishes. This is also why we have joined the local gym… (eeek)! Here is a list of our favorites. We have also included some recipe links to the ones we like to make at home. Itadakimasu! Continue reading →

History of Japan – The Origins of Coming of Age Day

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Last Monday marked Coming of Age Day across Japan. Traditionally an important day in the life of youths and their families, the holiday revolves around coming of age ceremonies (成人式 seijin-shiki) at which the country’s 20-year-olds are welcomed into adult life. Along with their legal responsibilities, on this day, new adults in Japan celebrate their rights to (legally) purchase and smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and vote.

With a celebration so important that it deserves its own national holiday, it’s worth looking back into the past to try to track the origins of this ceremony. Continue reading →