Diary of a Japan Tour Guide: Anghela in Harajuku and Haneda Airport
Japan Tour Guide (JTG) is an online portal that aims to match volunteer Japanese guides with visitors coming to Japan. Read about their tours put together for tourists by these friendly local guides in this...
The entrance to Sumida River, Kachidoki Bridge
An international expo was scheduled for Tokyo in 1940, whose main venue would have been in Tsukishima. This expo was planned to celebrate Japan’s 2,600th anniversary. According to historical document “Nihonshoki” written in the...
First Brush With Geisha Culture
Before I became a geisha I was lecturing in Japanese Studies at university and making anthropological documentaries for broadcasters like National Geographic Channel or Channel 4 (UK), or writing.
After I became a geisha, and...
Life inside the Flower and Willow World
Becoming a geisha
In my geisha house I will be taking a new hangyoku (maiko) trainee in this month. What kind of girls become geisha trainees in this day and age? Usually they are girls...
Iris in Wonderland Japan: Summer Fireworks
Hi, my name is Iris Woo and I'm Malaysian Chinese, born and bred in the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
This is my first blog entry on my journey to chase my dream to become...
Azuma Bridge: A Bridge Of Crimson Thunder
Although Asakusa is without a doubt best known for the Sensoji temple, allow me to introduce another landmark in the area: Azuma bridge.
Azuma bridge is located on the opposite side of Sensoji temple, but...
Iris in Wonderland Japan: What did you eat this summer?
In summer in Japan, you will sometimes find bento boxes of grilled eel rice in convenience stores, with a poster stating the “doyo no ushi no hi”.
Apparently, this habit of eating eel on the...
Tokyo Skyline Views From Roppongi Hills
From Ropongi Hills's observatory deck, you can enjoy an amazing panorama of Tokyo's urban landscapes. The view of Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree together, and the view at Shibuya and Shinjuku are some of...
Combini Checkout: A beginner’s guide to Onigiri
Whether it be for a outdoor picnic or a quick lunch break at your office desk, the Japanese rice ball, onigiri or omusubi is filling, convenient, and can pack a whole lot of flavor....
What do geisha do?
There are all kinds of misconceptions about what a geisha is and what she does. Geisha are traditional entertainers. "Gei" means "art" in Japanese and literally means "person of art". We are dancers and musicians, much...
