A lot of times we hear people adding fish ponds or fish tanks with Koi for good feng shui. Koi is a freshwater carp that are large beautiful freshwater fish popular for gardens. They’re prized not only in Asia but in many parts of the world.
People often ask: Is it good feng shui to place a “prosperity frog” in the living room near the front door for money or luck? The so-called “prosperity frog” is actually a three-legged toad holding coins in its mouth.
“Have we all become too soft?” I wonder about that. There is a Japanese word “Gaman” which is often translated as “enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity”. The term is generally translated as “perseverance”, “patience”, or “tolerance”. If you grew up with the language, those translations sound so serious. In reality, I think …
What role do you Play? This week it’s been so amazing and inspiring to watch the 2020 Tokyo Olympics! Five years ago, I recall watching a live video when the Olympic committee named Tokyo as the host for the 2020 summer Olympics. The excitement of the Japanese people jumping up and down and waving their …
Hi Everyone! It’s been ages since I last posted on my blog. I’ve been posting on Facebook a lot but not here. I figured that having the same post in two places was just information overload and repetitive. However, the other day I talked to my childhood friend. She said, “why haven’t you been posting?” …
“Selling is a skill. And an important skill for business.” I never realized that my Japanese cultural habits affected my business habits…
Regardless whether we enjoy it or not, we all have to clean house. I’m a little bit particular about my kitchen. Even if the rest of the house is in shambles, I like to have a clean kitchen. For some strange reason, if my kitchen is messy or dirty, I just can’t seem to think …
It seems to be the rage about how we must all find our passion in life to make our lives have meaning. I believe this is true. But, for myself and for many other’s finding this passion was a very, very long process.
Wishing everyone good health, loving relationships, and much happiness for 2018! In Japan, we follow the Chinese 12 zodiac animals. This year is the 11th animal in the zodiac, the year of the Dog! Just as the dog is known as man’s best friend, people born in the year of the dog are loyal, honest, …
Do you believe in destiny? Do you think you have a soulmate? In Japan, it is believed that some of us are destined to be with a particular partner in this life. An invisible red string connects your fingers together. This is called the red string of fate. In Japanese, they say, “Akai ito de …
Asian Folklore of the Red String of Fate – Akai Ito Read More »
Contribution from freelance writer Jocelyn Brown. For decades, Asian culture has shown an affinity for animation and computer games…
Today March 3rd is Girl’s Day in Japan. I was thinking about this all day today. Girl’s Day. I don’t know any other country that actually has a Girl’s Day celebration. If I’m wrong and ignorant, please let me know. I want to know if anyplace else in the world celebrates Girl’s Day. What a …
May 2017 bring good health, much love and joy to you and your family. In Japan, if there is a death in the family during the past year, it is customary not to send New Year’s greetings. With the loss of my father near the end of last year, our family had a very quiet …
Now is the season to go hiking and enjoy the outdoors. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are blessed with many trails throughout the area that are easily accessible. Well, now science has proven that not only is hiking in the forest a beautiful experience, it’s also great for your health! Imagine yourself on a …
My girlfriend gave me a few packets of Japanese Gold Leaf Tea. The Japanese characters on the packet says, Jun Kin Cha, or Genuine Gold Tea. Yes, it claims to have real gold in the tea. So, I opened the packet just to check. In between the granules of plum and seaweed tea, there were …
Omiyage, is the Japanese custom of gifting that is ingrained in our culture. When we are invited over to someone’s home for a meal or any occasion, we often bring food or a small gift for the host. Gifting is a part of many cultures. This was very apparent when I met my Persian girlfriend. When …
