Culture Sites:  These are just to get you started.  The sites on the Portal Page will have links to an endless number of sites that will give you all you want to know on any of these topics.  We just wanted to offer you a few sites to get you thinking about Japan.

The site for the Kyoto National Museum will show you some of the great pieces from Japan's past without the crowds!

Japanese Pottery provides a great introduction to Japanese pottery

Curious about architecture?  Try Traditional Buildings, Kyoto Architecture, Traditional Japanese Architecture, and Architectural Review of Japanese Traditions.

For more on Zen, try Do-not-zzz, a very fun and clever use of the internet to introduce Zen.  The Daily Zen offers just what the title implies daily dose of Zen.

Have an interest in Ikebana blossoming? The site offers a basic introduction to flower arrangement and you can create your own arrangements on line!  See also:  Ikebana Arts Site.

Interested in Sumo?  Try these sites:  Sumoweb, Sumo FAQs and Amateur Sumo. 

History covers it all, and these sites cover a lot of history:  Timeline of Japanese History, Japanese History, Museum of Japanese History, Samurai History and Samurai World. 

How about Japanese Swords?  Japanese Swords and More Japanese Swords. 

Intrigued by the martial arts?  Check out Japanese Karate Association, Karate in Japan, Judo in Japan, World of Judo, Introduction to Aikido. 

The tea ceremony fascinates? Start here for all you could ever want to know:  Tea Ceremony Links.

The Japan Society offers a variety of information.  And here are some notes on manners and a fun page of Japanese FAQs.  

The Ariai Junior High School's Picture Dictionary of Japanese Culture. Our intrepid instructor Peter Elvin and his students have created this online introduction to Japanese Culture (from the viewpoint of a Jr. Highschool student)

Food Information

Tokyo Food Page covers it all: glossaries and descriptions, plus a guide to Tokyo eateries. 

For something like what is pictured here, try The Sushi Bar and How to Make Sushi

The Iron Chef --the hit Japanese television series has its own home page.  This is both cultural and food related.   Watch champion chefs "battle" to make the best meal possible with the surprise ingredient of the day!

If you like to drink you can learn more about Japanese rice wine, sake, at:  Sake Shopping, Sake World, and The Joy of Sake.

If you are interested in green tea, Shizuoka has some of the best in Japan.  Here is a site just on Shizuoka's tea offerings.

For Foreigners in Japan, food also means getting something from home.  Here are two mail order sources for foreign food,  Foreign Buyers Club and organic food, The Tengu Home Page.

Language Links

Japanese EngRish --a tribute to Japlish, a strange and wonderful language spoken only in Japan

Japanese-Online

Beginning Japanese

Yes Japan  --includes sound files and online lessons

For all links offered on our site, the accuracy of information from these sites is not guaranteed by Four Seasons, nor are the ideas expressed there always endorsed by Four Seasons. All are independent sites under independent management. Further, while we do our best to keep things current, we can not be certain of the link validity day to day.  Please do report any broken links to us.   All pages open in new windows.