There is a photograph from 2012 that tells you everything you need to know about Shohei Ohtani. He is eighteen years old, standing at a podium in the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters’ conference room, wearing a suit that looks a size too large. He had just told the entire world he […]
Japan
NPB vs MLB: Key Differences Between Japanese and American Baseball
Baseball is a shared language between the United States and Japan. Both nations love the crack of the bat, the rhythm of nine innings, and the drama of a pennant race. But anyone who has attended games in both countries knows the truth: Japanese baseball and American baseball are remarkably […]
Top 10 Players to Watch in Japan’s Professional Baseball League 2026
Every spring, when the cherry blossoms begin to dot the hillsides of Koshien and the crisp Hokkaido air fills the stands of ES CON Field, a familiar energy sweeps across Japan. Puro Yakyū — professional baseball — is back. For tens of millions of Japanese fans, this is the heartbeat […]
The Ultimate Guide to Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2026
Baseball in Japan is not just a sport. It is a living, breathing cultural event. The crack of the bat, the rhythmic thunder of taiko drums, the synchronized chanting of 40,000 fans — nothing in the sporting world quite compares to a night at a Japanese ballpark. For travelers heading […]
Setsubun for Beginners: Easy Ways to Welcome Spring
There is a moment every year when Japan decides it has had enough of winter. It doesn’t arrive quietly. It arrives with fistfuls of roasted soybeans, a thunderous chant of “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Demons out! Fortune in!”), and a thick sushi roll eaten in complete silence. This […]
Best Places to Experience Setsubun in Japan 2026
Every February, when the last stubborn chill of winter still grips the Japanese archipelago, something joyful and a little chaotic erupts across the country. Roasted soybeans fly through the air. Children scream with delight. Grown adults in demon masks flee from tiny hands. And somewhere, in a quiet kitchen, a […]
Demons Out! Setsubun 2026 Chants and Rituals Explained
There is something deeply satisfying about hurling a fistful of roasted soybeans at a demon. Not a metaphorical demon. An actual person dressed in a terrifying red-and-blue horned mask, crouching on your doorstep while your children shriek with delight. This is Setsubun — one of Japan’s most beloved seasonal traditions […]
How to Do Mamemaki at Home for Setsubun Success
Every year on February 3, millions of Japanese families open their front doors and hurl roasted soybeans into the cold night air. They shout a phrase that has echoed through Japanese homes for centuries: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” — Demons out! Good fortune in! This is mamemaki (豆まき), […]
Setsubun Festival Foods: From Fukumame to Sushi Rolls
Every winter in Japan, just when the cold feels most stubborn, a quiet shift happens. Families gather around kitchen tables. Supermarket shelves fill with fat sushi rolls and bags of roasted soybeans. Children rehearse a chant they have known since kindergarten: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” — Demons out! […]
Top 10 Ehōmaki Recipes for Setsubun 2026 Luck
Every year, as the last chill of winter settles across Japan, a quiet anticipation fills the aisles of supermarkets, convenience stores, and neighborhood sushi shops. Stacks of plump, uncut sushi rolls wrapped in glossy nori seaweed appear overnight. Hand-lettered signs point toward the lucky direction. Families gather around kitchen tables, […]