長崎 (ながさき) - Nagasaki

長崎 is unsurprisingly the capital of 長崎県 (ながさきけん - nagasakiken - Nagasaki Prefecture) and one of the largest cities in 九州 (きゅうしゅう - Kyushu), southwest of the main Japanese island of 本州 (ほんしゅう - Honshu). Throughout several hundred years of Japan's history, it served as a prominent port and trading post - one of the country's only windows to the world during its isolation. Unfortunately that's not the main claim to fame; as we all know, in 1945 長崎 became infamous as the second and last city to be struck by a nuclear warhead. Today, the bombing is just one dark chapter in the long and colourful history of 長崎 - let's open the book and start from the beginning.

お正月 (おしょうがつ - Oshougatsu) - New Year

A very belated あけましておめでとうございます (akemashite omedetou gozaimasu - Happy New Year) - and welcome to 2011! If you're like a lot of Australians, your クリスマス (kurisumasu - Christmas) probably completely overshadowed New Year and if you're like me, you rang in 2011 with a nice casual barbeque or something to that effect. お正月 goes a bit beyond grabbing a spare gas bottle and firing up the grill; it's steeped in tradition from the food to the festivities and needs to be planned far in advance. Let's have a look and see how it works on this side of the pond - before, during and after the countdown to midnight.

クリスマス (kurisumasu) - Christmas

Suddenly, it seems to be well and truly that time of year again; with an abrupt cold snap announcing the start of 冬 (ふゆ - fuyu - Winter), everyone seems to be following Rudolph's lead. Despite Japan not celebrating クリスマス to any great extent, decorations are up in the shops and a lot of people seem to be getting into the spirit with wreaths hung on their doors and twinkling lights strung up across their balconies. At first glance things seem much the same here as at home, but let's park the sleigh and have a proper look at exactly what the silly season is like in Japan; I bet my fake beard there'll be a few surprises in store.

七五三 (しちごさん - shichi go san) - 7-5-3

七五三 is a coming-of-age festival that takes place on or around the 15th of November every year. Children aged three, five and seven are taken to 神社 (じんじゃ - jinja - shrines) nationwide and offered blessings by the priests to ensure good fortune and longevity. What makes this most interesting to watch is that all the kids are dressed to the nines in 着物 (きもの - kimono) or Western-style suits for the occasion; they totter along beside their parents like little stunt doubles. On an otherwise fairly gloomy day at 生田神社 (いくたじんじゃ - ikuta jinja - Ikuta Shrine) in 三宮 (さんのみや - Sannomiya), all the bright colours were a very welcome addition.

Halloween post - お化け (おばけ - obake - Monsters/ghosts)

Halloween (ハロウィーン) is nearly upon us, which in Japan is as much of a big deal as it is in Australia (or perhaps even less). Like Valentine's Day, it's mostly a curiosity turned commercial holiday. Decorations and costumes have appeared in shops and jack-o'-lanterns and "trick or treat" signs have sprung up here and there, but apart from that it's all a bit of a non-issue. Don't think that means Japan doesn't have its fair share of scares, mind you - there's plenty of ghosts, demons and monsters to go around, ハロウィーン or no. So in the spirit of the scary season, let's find out what goes bump in Japan's night.

お盆 (おぼん) - Obon

お盆 (or just 盆 - ぼん - Bon) is a Buddhist festival that happens during the middle of Summer across the whole of Japan. Similar to Mexico's Day of the Dead, it's a time where people's ancestors are said to return to the world of the living. It's also one of the busiest times of year to travel, with thousands of travellers returning to their families for the occasion; if you wanted to experience being pushed on to a crowded train firsthand, お盆 would be a very good time for it.

So what is お盆 and what does it involve, exactly? Let's find out.

日本の四つの季節その２：夏 (にほんのよつのきせつそのに：なつ） - The Four Seasons of Japan 2: Summer

夏 (なつ - natsu - Summer) is the next big season in Japan, where the grey clouds of 梅雨 (つゆ - tsuyu - the rainy season) finally give way to sweltering tropical heat. It's not all sweat and sunburn though - among other things, 夏 plays host to some of the best festivals of the Japanese calendar; balmy nights with special events, games, food and ice-cold drinks.

Grab your fan, it's going to be a hot one.

京都その２ (きょうとそのに - Kyouto sono ni) - Kyoto, part two

In my opinion, the best part of 京都 is the sheer number of things to see and do there. As I mentioned last week, there are thousands of temples and shrines, ranging from huge tourist favourites to tiny places tucked out of sight; it's easy to find something new every time you visit. Today we'll take a look at some of the slightly smaller places - still popular, but not swarming with as many people as last time. I hope you still have your walking shoes on.

京都その１ (きょうとそのいち - Kyouto sono ichi) - Kyoto, part one

It's hard to think of Japan without 京都 springing to mind; it's one of the old capitals of Japan, hosts tens of millions of tourists each year and boasts around two thousand temples and shrines. It's also very straightforward to get to by 電車 (でんしゃ - densha - train) or 新幹線 (しんかんせん - shinkansen), which is just as well because you'll probably need two days to even scratch the surface. Fortunately I'll be doing most of the hard work for you this time - two posts for a two day trip. Don't forget your camera!

ゴールデンウィーク (Golden Week)

ゴールデンウィーク (often shortened to the letters "GW" in Japan) is arguably the biggest holiday season in Japan, along with お盆 (おぼん - Obon) in mid-August and シルバーウィーク (Silver Week) in mid-late September. GW is basically a string of public holidays spanning from late April to early May that usually mean at least five days off work. It's the perfect excuse for Japan to pack her bags and go just about everywhere else you can imagine for a well-earned break. The only problem with travelling during GW is that everyone else has the same idea!