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.

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.

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!

奈良 (なら - Nara)

In keeping with the theme of 春 (はる - haru - spring) and 桜 (さくら - sakura - cherry blossoms), today's pictures and words take us to 奈良, one of the ancient capitals of Japan. 奈良 is about 45 minutes out of 大阪 (おおさか - Osaka) by train and after spending a day there, I would have to say it's worth one trip at the very least. Within a very short time you'll have made dozens of hairy new friends and taken a lot of very interesting photos.

神社とお寺の違い - jinja to otera no chigai - The difference between shrines and temples

This is something I've wondered for a while and maybe you have too. The terms "shrine" and "temple" are used almost interchangeably, but there are differences. Given that I visited Nagata Shrine a couple of weeks ago and just got back from Zenkou Temple in Nagano, I figured it was a good time to try and spot them.