Well a bit late, but better late than never right? During Golden Week in Japan (one week of holidays from the end of April to the start of May) I went to a samurai festival in Odawara (a city near Yokohama) at Odawara Castle. The festival is to celebrate the feudal lords who used to rule this area, the Hojo clan, during Japan's warring states period (1467-1603). There was a parade, lots of people in costumes, people firing the old Japanese arquebus, and one overenthusiastic samurai who had wh...

Cherry Blossom season in Japan is a pretty big event. It happens in Spring, usually around the start to mid April (in Tokyo) and goes for a paltry one to two weeks. The cherry blossoms are really short lived. The Japanese have a picnic during this time, called 'hanami' (literally flower watching). The main foods are sushi and sake (Japanese rice wine). This party became popular for the masses during the Edo period (1603-1867), whereas before, it was the preserve of the nobility. The cherry ...