Ahh… natsukashiiii… those summer days in Japan when I used to eat my weight in Matcha Haagen Dazs from the 7-11 convenience store around the corner! A drippy, whippy ice cream on a summer’s day brings out the gleeful, sticky-chinned child in everyone.  But choosing matcha (very strong, powdered green tea) flavour does feel that Read more

Are you learning Japanese?  Here’s a brief guide to the conversation clubs in the London.   Do you want to chat in English and Japanese?  A conversation evening can be brilliant to informally practice your conversation skills and make interesting, international friends. This is London – so you’ll meet all sorts of different types of people Read more

Wondering which is a better fit for you – a private Japanese tutor or group Japanese lessons? I know that you don’t have time to mess about so I’d like to briefly summarise the pros and cons. Everyone’s situation is different, so you’ll need to carefully consider cost, how many students are in the class Read more

‘My favourite day of the school holidays‘ wrote my 5 year old boy, ‘was using the Japanese Washlet toilet at the Japan House. It squirts water at your bumhole and then dries it with hot air.’ Indeed, Japan House, High Street Kensington, is fun to pop in before a romp in Hyde Park (not too Read more

I totally get it. For the beginner, learning the Japanese language can seem totally overwhelming. There are 2 phonetic syllabaries (alphabets) of 46 base characters? Thousands of kanji (Chinese characters)? Urgh. ‘I’m just going on a 10 day trip to Japan. It’s not even worth trying.’ Slow down there a moment. You don’t need to Read more

Sometimes potential Japanese students ask: ‘Why can’t I pay lesson-by-lesson?’. After all, a block booking of 10 lessons of 90 minutes (see the prices page here) can seem like a large initial outlay of money (not to mention the commitment of time). I totally understand why people ask to pay lesson-by-lesson, and that’s why I’d Read more

Concerned about being able to understand and converse with the locals when they head to the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan this September, students have been asking me ‘How long will it take me to learn Japanese?’ and ‘Is it worth learning Japanese for a short trip?’. I know what you are expecting me Read more

Tea ceremony? Flower arranging? Taiko drumming? London might just be the best place outside of Japan to learn a traditional art or craft! Interest in time-honoured Japanese arts continues to escalate; there’s just something so refreshing about the need to be present that is embodied within traditional arts. Instant mindfulness! These groups and foundations will Read more

Emerging from the Yamato ‘Passion’ Japanese Taiko drum performance, my cheeks actually hurt from smiling. So touching was the troupe’s camaraderie, the exuberant energy, and polished professional delivery that I was grinning ear-to-ear for much of the show. It was moving in more ways than one – the intense vibrations from the massive drums could Read more

Admiring the springtime blooms is a bit of a national obsession common to both Britain and Japan. They are being rapturously received in the UK in 2019 as we speak, and the first wave of cherry blossoms has started in Japan. Here in the UK we are known for seasonally swooning over daffodils, snowdrops and Read more

Are you thinking about learning Japanese this year? Studying the language and culture is an enriching experience which will absolutely open your mind and heart to different ways of thinking and doing things. However, January isn’t always the right time to start. Even though you might be feeling pressure to act on your 2019 resolutions Read more

The good news about making Japanese food at home: so many Japanese dishes are actually really easy to put together! Sometimes it even seems like more of an ‘assembly job’ than ‘cooking’, per se. Thus, the (kind of) bad news: this means the quality of each ingredient really shines through! So, you’ll want to source Read more

The Atari-ya chain of shops and sushi bars has rapidly expanded in recent years. This is no surprise – as the business has been built on a strong foundation of top quality food for discerning consumers. As can be seen from the popularity of the Atari-ya sushi bars (located at Swiss Cottage, Ealing Common as Read more

Gliding up the escalator to Sake no Hana you can shed your worries like autumn leaves; safe in the knowledge that you’ll be well looked after here. This a Japanese restaurant that offers a fine blend of both ambience and cuisine. A hearty ‘irrashiamase’ welcome from the sushi chefs working at the bar & kitchen Read more