Holiday postcards sent at the end of the year are called "Nengajo". The cards are based on the Chinese Zodiac calendar and 2009 is the Year of The Ox. Cards are typically mailed in late December but are held by the Japan post office and delivered to residents on January 1. In the days following,
Rice planted in June has grown into a likeness of Himeji Castle. Eight varieties of rice that would sprout in differing colors were used in the 90-by-180-meter rice field in Yumesaki village in Hyogo Prefecture. Designed as a tourist attraction, the castle image can be see from a ropeway on a nearby mountain. The seedlings
A group of people dressed in kimono stroll around traditional silk production areas to attract attention and help revitalize the silk industry. The Kawagoe Kimono Sanpo members walk around Kawagoe, Chichibu and Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture. The towns maintain a presence of the textile and traditional handicrafts industries. Participants include women in their 20s and a
