Category: Culture

Let’s Go Natural in Tohoku

Onsen (温泉) is the Japanese name for a hot spring; the term also extends to cover the bathing facilities and traditional inns frequently situated around a hot spring. Onsens come in many types and shapes, including outdoor (露天風呂 or 野天風呂, roten-buro or noten-buro) and indoor baths (内湯, uchiyu).

Guests are not normally allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths.

Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones.

The Tōhoku region (東北地方, Tōhoku-chihō), Northeast region, or Northeast Japan (東北日本, Tōhoku-nihon) consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (ken): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.

Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.

The Go-Bang’s were a three-piece Japanese all-female band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

JR East operates all of the Shinkansen, high-speed rail lines, north of Tokyo, except the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which is operated by JR Hokkaido.

In Cold or Hay Fever Season, it’s Kowa Clean Line Time

Surgical masks are popularly worn by the general public all year round in East Asian countries like China, Japan and South Korea to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases to others, and to prevent the breathing in of airborne dust particles created by air pollution.

A cloth face mask is a mask made of common textiles, usually cotton, worn over the mouth and nose. During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple countries recommended the use of cloth masks to reduce the spread of the virus.

Gauze is a thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave.

Abenomask is a Japanese political word named after [Prime Minister] Shinzo Abe. It is used in Japan [to refer to] the governmental action to give reusable surgical masks for every family [as a response to] the COVID-19 outbreak [and] the surgical mask[s themselves].

仁科 幸子（にしな ゆきこ、1963å¹´9月25æ—¥ – ）は、 日本の女優、キャスター。CM：　コーワ　クリーンライン（マスク）（1980年代）

Yukiko Nishina is a Japanese actress and newscaster. [She appeared in a commercial for] Kowa Clean Line Masks in the 1980s.

興和株式会社（こうわ、英称:Kowa Company, Limited）とは、日本の専門商社である。本社は愛知県名古屋市に所在する。

Kowa Company, Limited is a specialized Japanese trading company. Its head office is in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture.

Snow Monkeys Relax in Hell Valley Hot Springs

Japanese macaques at Jigokudani hotspring in Nagano have become notable for their winter visits to the spa.

Jigokudani Monkey Park is famous for its large population of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), more commonly referred to as snow monkeys, that go to the valley during the winter, foraging elsewhere in the national park during the warmer months. The monkeys descend from the steep cliffs and forest to sit in the warm waters of the onsen (hotsprings), and return to the security of the forests in the evenings.

The customs and practices observed differ depending on the hot spring. It is common practice that bathers should wash before entering the water so as not to contaminate the water (with/without soap). In many countries, like Japan, it is required to enter the hot spring with no clothes on, including swimwear.

[Nagano Prefecture‘s] mountains have made it relatively isolated, and many visitors come to Nagano for its mountain resorts and hot springs.