Little & Big Things about Japan

In 2019, Japan and Poland celebrated the 100th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. The two nations have continued to enjoy a friendly relationship. While there may not be a single answer as to why these ties are so strong, some historical events have likely contributed to them. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Poland was under Imperial Russian control, and many Poles were drafted into the Russian army to fight against Japan. Among the prisoners of war captured by the Japanese were many Polish soldiers who were placed in a separate facility from the Russians in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. Polish prisoners seemed to have enjoyed relatively greater freedom and were even able to walk around outside the camp, allowing them to make friends with local residents. After Poland's failed uprisings against Russian rule, many Poles were exiled to Siberia to work on the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Harsh conditions, combined with World War I and the Rus...

To native German speakers, German might not sound special — no duh! However, for non-German speakers, it can hit differently. A few years ago, someone created a literal German translation of Japan's prefecture names, which went viral after people realized how unexpectedly cool they sounded. Hokkaido (北海道): Nordmeerstraße Aomori (青森): Blauwald Iwate (岩手): Felsenhand Miyagi (宮城): Palastburg Akita (秋田): Herbstfeld Yamagata (山形): Bergform Fukushima (福島): Glückinsel Ibaraki (茨城): Rosenburg Tochigi (栃木): Rosskastanie Gunma (群馬): Pferdeherde Saitama (埼玉): Kapskugel Chiba (千葉): Tausendeblätter Tokyo (東京): Osthauptstadt Kanagawa (神奈川): Gottesfluß Niigata (新潟): Neuelagune Tomiyama (富山): Reichenberg Ishikawa (石川): Steinfluß Fukui (福井): Glückesbrunnen Yamanashi (山梨): Birnenberg Nagano (長野): Langenfeld Gifu (岐阜): Gabelunghügel Shizuoka (静岡): Stillenhügel Aichi (愛知): Liebewissen Mie (三重): Dreifach Shiga (滋賀): Nahhaftesfeier Kyoto (京都): Edelhauptstadt Osaka (大阪): Großenhang Hyogo (兵庫): Solda...

Many Japanese restaurant chains are announcing their Tsukimi Burger menus for this year — but what exactly is Tsukimi ? Tsukimi (月見) or Otsukimi (お月見) literally means " moon viewing ." It is a Japanese celebration of the autumn full moon said to have originated from China. The main event, called Jugoya (十五夜, "Fifteenth Night"), falls on August 15 on the old Japanese lunar calendar — which corresponds to October 6 this year on the Gregorian calendar. The full moon on this day is also known as Chushu no Meigetsu (中秋の名月). Traditionally, Tsukimi refers to both Jugoya and Jusan'ya (十三夜, "Thirteenth Night"), which this year falls on November 2. Viewing the moon on only one of these nights is called " katatsukimi " (片月見) or " katamizuki " (片見月) which is traditionally considered bad luck. Tsukimi is celebrated by displaying susuki (Japanese pampas grass) and eating Tsukimi dango (round rice dumplings). It is also common to...

Baumkuchen is one of the most popular pastries in Japan, widely available at supermarkets, convenience stores, and even some drugstores — usually sold in small packaged portions. As its name suggests, it is a type of German spit cake with distinctive ring-shaped layers. The cake was introduced to Japan by Karl Joseph Wilhelm Juchheim (1886–1945), a German confectioner who originally ran a pastry shop in Qingdao (now in Shandong Province, China), then a German protectorate. When World War I broke out in 1914, Juchheim, serving as a private in the Landsturm, was captured by the Japanese during the Siege of Qingdao and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Okinawa. In 1919, he was relocated to a camp on Ninoshima Island near Hiroshima, where he baked Baumkuchen for an exhibition at the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall (now known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial or Atomic Bomb Dome). The cake was very well received and marked the beginning of its popularity in Japan. After ...