Shingo, Aomori: The Sacred Land You Never Knew Existed
Shingo is a small village in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, which would not be on the map for most tourists had it not been for the bold claims boasted by residents.
Taiwan Needs to be On Your Bucket List
I grew up on Japanese pop culture and as I got older I developed a love for the culture and history surrounding the country. I have studied both Chinese and Japanese languages in school, but until I met my husband, Taiwan was not a place I thought about much. It was always a place I […]
Penghu: Shining Pearl of the Taiwan Strait
My husband’s grandfather was a Marine in the Taiwanese military, which means my mother-in-law spent her childhood in Penghu (澎湖縣). This archipelago falls within the Taiwanese territory and serves as a unique island getaway for locals and tourists alike. Summers offer a relaxing summer getaway, but in winter months it has some of the highest […]
Valentine’s Day and White Day: Celebrating Love in Japan
Love is in the air as February 14th quickly approaches. In the West, and especially in the United States, Valentine’s Day is the holiday where you show your significant other just how much they mean to you through gifts of jewelry, flowers, chocolate, or whatever speaks to your partner. But over time, the holiday has […]
Lunar New Year 2023: The Rabbit and Gifting
Lunar New Year is known as the largest human migration in the world. With numerous East and Southeast Asian countries observing the holiday, planes fill with families eager to gather at home for festivities and tradition. While Lunar New Year is celebrated across plenty of countries from China to Vietnam and everywhere in between, every […]
My Taiwanese Wedding Journey: Rooted in Tradition
When my husband and I first started talking about getting married, I had expressed how important it was to me to represent his culture as Taiwanese in our ceremony. As such, we had planned on having a traditional Taiwanese wedding ceremony at some point in time. Some point was August 6, 2022. This past summer, […]
Taiwanese Valentine’s Day: Culture Meets Romance
QiXi Festival (七夕節), also known as Taiwanese Valentine’s Day, is a celebration that merges folklore with romance as the country celebrates the legend of the Weaver Girl and the Cow Herder. The celebration is held on the 7th day for the 7th month in the Lunar Calendar (this year it will be on August 4 […]
Freedom: 7 Countries on 4 Continents Who Celebrate their Independence
Independence Day is a massive event where I live in the United States. The fourth of July is a day for family, barbeques, and fireworks. Red, white, and blue clothing and décor litter the stores in the coming weeks, and American flags seem to be everywhere. With so much patriotism overcoming the nation, it is […]
