芸者 (げいしゃ) - Geisha

芸者 have become a bit of a "thing" for people over the past few years, abruptly going from a shorthand symbol of Japanese culture to a talking point in book clubs and living rooms all over the world. As ubiquitous as they are in paintings and cute little pop culture references, the reality is that 芸者 are an endangered species and comparatively few people - Japanese or otherwise - ever get to see one in the flesh. As you might expect then, misunderstandings and half-truths abound. They're commonly thought of as hostesses, courtesans and concubines and while none of these are completely wrong in a historical sense, the devil is in the detail.

Japaneats その11 – 和菓子 (わがし - wagashi) - Japanese sweets

It may not be the first place you imagine when you think of desserts, but believe it or not Japan has a huge sweet tooth. Like most Japanese food, 和菓子 have evolved significantly over the years and they can now be enjoyed in a traditional, understated way with a cup of お茶 (おちゃ - ocha - green tea) or in vast quantities at a café or 食べ放題 (たべほうだい - tabehoudai - all you can eat) dessert restaurant. Let's have a look at some of the most common 和菓子 and see if we can kill that sugar craving.

広島 (ひろしま) - Hiroshima

Approximately 90 minutes from 神戸 (こうべ - Kobe) and 大阪 (おおさか - Osaka) on the 新幹線 (しんかんせん - Shinkansen) lies 広島, one of the largest cities in Western 本州 (ほんしゅう - Honshu). Unfortunately 広島 is best known as the site of the world's first 原爆 (げんばく - genbaku - atomic bomb) attack but it definitely deserves more credit than that; like 長崎 (ながさき - Nagasaki), the real triumph is how quickly it has risen from the ashes as a gorgeous, bustling city in its own right. The scars are still there if you look closely, but don't let that be your only reason for visiting.