Valentine’s Day in Japan Written by Andres Salazar There are a couple of elements that come to mind when people hear “Valentine’s Day”. Here in Canada, chocolate, the colour red and winged babies with bows and arrows are classic holiday imagery. It seems like there isn’t much change from year to year. While those pieces might seem so concrete to us, it goes without saying that countries celebrate holidays differently. Japan is no stranger to putting its twists on popular holidays. Whether it’s a good bucket of KFC on Christmas or having costumed street parties on Halloween, the land of the rising sun also loves to have its own…
Written by: Andres Salazar When you think of Christmas, what comes to mind? You might think of the presents under the Christmas tree. Perhaps it’s the cookies and milk that get left for Santa. If you’re really into unique Christmas traditions, you might even think of how many people watch Die Hard (1988) every year. The point is that there are all sorts of different activities, traditions, and goodies that call forth that classic holiday spirit. There’s a whole library of ways to celebrate December 25th, with different cultures and countries having their own celebratory styles. Although Japan is no stranger to Christmas, the country has a fun twist to…
Written by: Andres Salazar Needing a change of pace and new direction in life, I decided to head to Japan for a couple of years. Not sure what I wanted to do in university, I decided to let myself go on an adventure before coming back and settling in on a game plan. I filled out my visa paperwork and got all my bags ready as I headed for one of the most colourful, stylish, and eventful cities on the planet: Tokyo. Living in Japan was an incredible experience, though it had its challenges. The challenges of being a Latin guy in Tokyo were always there, but the city and…
