Soba noodles take a back seat to ramen as a Japanese culinary export, but they are hugely popular across Japan with many local variations.

Called ‘takenoko’ in Japanese, bamboo shoots aren’t just for crafts or construction, but are one of many seasonal foods in Japan.

Spring’s bright colors feature prominently in Japanese sweets, with cherry blossom pink particularly popular during sakura season.

Otherwise known as Girls’ Day, or ‘Hina Matsuri’ in Japanese, the colorful festival Dolls’ Festival has been celebrated on March 3rd every year since the Heian Period (794-1192).

Coming to Japan also means coming to the world of Shinto. There are about 80,000 shrines dedicated to 8 million Shinto gods throughout the country of cherry blossoms.

Valentine’s Day in Japan consists of two main treats: giri-choco for the colleagues, and honmei choco for the loved ones.