Many festivals are held throughout the year and you can attend one on almost any weekend during the summer months. The Japan Times provides a Monthly Guide to Festivals in Japan which is a great resource for visitors and residents alike. Attending a festival is a great way to get some insight into Japanese culture by sampling some of the street food or taking in some of the entertainment or festival games. The festivals usually held on the grounds of historic temples or shrines and lend a historic atmosphere to these great events.

Hanabi, or fireworks, are very popular during the summer months. The Sumida River Fireworks Festival, scheduled for July 26th (weather permitting), is the oldest fireworks show on record in Japan. It dates back to 1733, when the Shogun staged a ceremony the Sumida River to pray for the souls of the victims of a famine the previous year and to drive away disease.

If you just want to relax on a sunny afternoon, pick up a bento from your local grocery store and head out to one of these great parks:

• Yoyogi Park, a huge green area near the Meiji Jingu Shrine (map). Sundays are great for people watching as the Gothic Lolitas and their friends are usually out in force strutting their stuff.
• Ueno Park offers a relaxing stroll around the Shinobazu pond, where you can rent pedal powered boats, or you can visit the Ueno Zoo before claiming a spot for your picnic. (map)

You can also dine by the light of fireflies until July 18th or cheer on your favorite team at a baseball game.

It might be hot outside, but why would you want to stay home with the air conditioner going full blast when there are so many great things to do and see over the summer in Tokyo!

Photo Credit: Flickr, Yukata Couple, Fireworks 04 & Yoyogi Park

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

Formal bento meals in restaurants are served in black, partitioned, lacquerware boxes that are very beautiful to behold.  They can be a bit pricey but can be worth the outlay as only the freshest seasonal ingredients, prepared perfectly, are included.

Those purchased at local grocery stores are much more economical and are served in disposable containers that can be easily transported to work or a picnic in the park on a sunny afternoon.

But bentos aren’t just purchased, many people make and take their own bento to work or school with them on a daily basis. Many homemakers take great pride in the bento they prepare and get really creative with the presentation.

You may not know what you are eating, and you make not like everything in your bento box, but there is a good chance that you will discover a new favorite or two, so don’t pass up the chance to eat a bento when you are in Japan.

Photo Credit: FLickr, Cooking Lecture: Japanese – 松花堂弁当 Shokado-style Bento Box (Japanese “Lunchbox”), Bento Panda, vive le food art & … by puzzlegaze

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler