Japanese Hand Clapping Playground Game

Here's a Japanese hand clapping game about making rice cakes. Cool motions! If anyone would like to send me the Japanese lyrics and/or an English translation, I'd love to add them here. You can add a transliteration or translation in the comments below or email me the Japanese text at lisa@mamalisa.com . Meanwhile, [...]

Poem: A Landscape

A Landscape Land, green-brown; Sea, brown-grey; Island, dull peacock blue; Sky, stone-grey. I like the imagery of this poem. What's interesting is that the sea is brown-grey and the island is blue. “A Landscape” was originally Japanese. If anyone can send in the original, I'd love to add it here. Please email me at lisa@mamalisa.com . Thanks! Mama [...]

About The Japanese Star Festival – Tanabata – with a Song and YouTube Video

One wonderful festival that takes place in Japan in July is the Star Festival, also known as Tanabata. Tanabata means “evening of the seventh”… the Star Festival takes place at night on July 7th every year. Tanabata is originally based on a Chinese legend. Tanabata celebrates the meeting of a husband and wife. [...]

Japanese Lullabies called Nenneko Yo with a YouTube Video

There are some lullabies in Japan that start with variations of the line, “Nenneko yo”. “Nenneko yo” is literally “Sleep, baby child”. Here are some I found in an old book called “A Japanese Miscellany: Strange Stories, Folklore Gleanings, Studies Here & There” by Lafcadio Hearn (1901). They're Japanese transliterations with translations. [...]

Miso Soup Traditions

I recently posted a recipe for miso soup that Ayako Egawa from Japan helped me with.  When she saw the photo of the bowls and spoons I used to serve it with, she made this comment: "It is interesting you use a spoon for Miso soup, because we use chopsticks for it. And we usually [...]

Recipe for Miso Soup

Miso Soup is pretty quick and easy to make!  I made it for the first time this past weekend.  My whole family liked it, though my 7 year old daughter only ate the broth with rice (no seaweed!). The one possibly tough part of making miso soup is finding the ingredients.  I got mine at a [...]

Cherry Blossom Viewing in Japan

When the Cherry Blossoms bloom in Japan it's traditional to go to the park to view the blossoms and have a picnic.  Cherry Blossom viewing is called called Hanami. Ayako Egawa generously shared her photos of this years cherry blossom viewing.  Ayako wrote, "We walked under the flow of cherry blossoms in the park.  It [...]

Taiyaki – A Japanese Sweet

I think it's interesting to learn about different foods eaten around the world.  Here's one that's eaten in Japan.  Ayako Egawa shared this photo with me, with the note:  This is a fish shaped sweet called “Taiyaki”. It's a popular sweet in Japan.  Usually Azuki (red bean) paste is stuffed inside it. But this [...]

Bunny Bento

Check out this post for making bunny bento.  What's bento?  A Japanese lunchbox! You can buy Japanese Bento Boxes at: Asian Art Mall Ayako Egawa wrote from Japan: “Hi Lisa, bunny bento, which is the cutting style of an apple, is very popular in Japan in lunchboxes!” A couple of days later, Ayako wrote to me: “Hi Lisa, [...]

Fun Sweet “Sushi” to Make for Kids

Yuta, Yoji and Miki made this awesome “sushi” for a school birthday party. It's made out of homemade rice crispy treats, gummy fish and fruit roll-ups. How cute and cool! The one question everyone's asking is: How did they get the rice crispy treats to be soooo pure white? Any ideas? [...]