Life & Culture
Everyday objects, food and customs in Japan, starting with Fukushima and the ways people use them.
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Illustration: a small soup bowl in an everyday meal. The people, setting, and tableware are illustrative, not a particular household or maker’s products. No Spoon? How to Drink from a Japanese Soup Bowl
No spoon beside your miso soup? Learn how to lift a small Japanese soup bowl, take a sip, and care for it, with a connection to Aizu.
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Illustration: using a tenugui to dry your hands. The person, cloth and home are illustrative, not a particular maker’s product. A Tenugui in Your Hands: Wipe, Fold, Hang to Dry
A thin Japanese cotton cloth, three ordinary movements: dry your hands, fold it for a bag, and give it room after washing.
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Illustration: a small rice bowl held during an everyday meal. The person, bowl and setting are illustrative. A Japanese Rice Bowl: Where Do Your Fingers Go?
Where do your fingers go when you lift a small Japanese rice bowl? Follow the hand position, a bite of rice, and the bowl’s return to the…
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Illustration: hojicha at an everyday table. The person and setting are illustrative. Hojicha: Why This Japanese Green Tea Is Brown
Why is hojicha brown if it is green tea? See the roasted leaves, try one clearly labelled brewing example, and find a small connection to Fukushima.
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Illustration · Small Stops Japan A First Cup with a Kyusu: Japan’s Side-Handle Teapot
Meet the kyusu through the small movements of making tea: adding leaves, holding the handle, sharing the pour and clearing up afterwards.
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Illustration · Small Stops Japan Tsuchiyu Kokeshi: Meet, Paint and Take Home a Wooden Doll
Meet the wooden dolls of Tsuchiyu Onsen through their faces, painted rings, giant street-side cousins and hands-on painting experiences.
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Illustration — Tell the seller when you plan to eat the peaches. This is a general stand, not a named farm. Buying Peaches in Fukushima: When Will You Eat Them?
At a Fukushima fruit stand, the useful question is when you plan to eat your peaches. Firmness, home-use labels and the journey home all matter.
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Illustration · Small Stops Japan Shamoji: From the Rice Cooker to Your Bowl
See how a shamoji loosens cooked rice, carries it to a bowl, and rests between servings, with four illustrated home scenes.
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Illustration — Books and a writing hand share a small tabletop. Furniture and room layout are general examples. One Japanese School Desk, Three Everyday Scenes
A writing space, a lunch table and furniture to move at cleaning time: see how one small desk helps a classroom change through the day.