Why Japan Offers the First Rice of the Harvest to the Gods

Inside Kannamesai, Ise Jingu’s most important autumn ritual

Oct 7 • Spiritual Japan Journal

14

6

1

September 2026

When the Sun Sets in the West: The Buddhist Meaning of Ohigan

Exploring Higan, the Western Pure Land, and the setting sun through a tradition I had known since childhood

Sep 25 • Spiritual Japan Journal

22

4

1

Why Are There So Many Deer in Nara?

Kasuga Taisha and the 1,300-Year History of Japan’s Sacred Deer

Sep 16 • Spiritual Japan Journal

13

9

2

September in Japan: Autumn Flavors and a Bamboo Soba Tray from Togakushi

Life in Japan – Issue 040

Sep 9 • Spiritual Japan Journal

18

6

1

August 2026

Why Do Japan’s Streets Look So Clean When There Are So Few Trash Cans?

Culture or Counterterrorism? What Really Keeps Japan Clean

Aug 25 • Spiritual Japan Journal

9

Sweat, Tears, and the End of Summer at Koshien

Life in Japan – Issue 039

Aug 22 • Spiritual Japan Journal

9

1

1

Teate: When a Hand Becomes Care

From my mother’s hand to my own hands as a nurse, the surprising history of an everyday Japanese word

Aug 18 • Spiritual Japan Journal

7

Obon, the End of the War, and Fireworks on August 15

Life in Japan – Issue 038

Aug 15 • Spiritual Japan Journal

13

2

2

Walking the Five Shrines of Togakushi

Ancient Myths and a 400-Year-Old Cedar Avenue

Aug 11 • Spiritual Japan Journal

9

2

81 Years Ago Today in Hiroshima

What the Atomic Bomb Dome preserves, and Hiroshima’s enduring hope for peace throughout the world

Aug 6 • Spiritual Japan Journal

30

12

7

The 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake

Life in Japan – Issue 037

Aug 1 • Spiritual Japan Journal

23

1

6

July 2026

How Soy Sauce Is Made in Japan

The 400-Year Story of Soy Sauce on Shōdoshima

Jul 28 • Spiritual Japan Journal

2

5