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Learn how Nagoya morning service works, what comes with a drink, and why toast, eggs and sweet red beans are part of coffee-shop life in Aichi.

Discover the meaning of goshuin, how to use a goshuincho, and the etiquette for receiving shrine and temple seals in Japan, including paper versions.

Learn how to draw and read omikuji in Japan, what daikichi and kyo mean, and when to tie a paper fortune or take it home.

What are omamori in Japan? Learn how to choose a Japanese amulet, carry it respectfully and understand the custom of returning or renewing it.

What are ema in Japan? Learn the meaning of wooden prayer plaques, what people write on them and how visitors can take part at a shrine or temple.

How Japan’s coin lockers change a day out, from their 1964 arrival at Shinjuku to cashless storage, station errands and the practical details worth checking.

Discover Japanese oden through daikon, eggs, fish cakes and simmering broth, with regional flavors from Shizuoka and Himeji and a closer look at everyday meals.

Discover Japanese tatami mats: woven rushes, skilled fitting, futon bedding and surface renewal, plus the ways this traditional floor adapts to modern life.

Discover Japan’s maneki neko: the meaning of each raised paw, Gōtokuji’s temple story, and the ceramic cats made in the pottery towns of Seto and Tokoname.

Discover yaki imo, Japan’s roasted sweet potato: fluffy and sticky varieties, the science behind its sweetness, and its journey from street vendors to shops.