winter

Cuisine: Japanese

Japan's nabe: Try making your own nourishing hot pot at home!

There is something very comforting about sitting around a bubbling hot pot with friends and family. Often rich with a variety of vegetables, hot pots are also very nourishing.

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Japan's all lit up for the holidays

Every year thousands of people flock to parks, malls and other attractions to marvel at the elaborate and colorful light displays – from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern islands of Okinawa – set up to ring in the holiday spirit with dazzling brilliance throughout Japan.

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Speakin’ Japanese: Winter season greetings

Here are some useful Japanese phrases to help you along the way.

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Send the gift of Kamakura with Kamakura Mind’s winter gift packages

Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Kamakura is only 25 minutes from Yokosuka by train but 1,000 years away. Seat of the first shogunate in 1185, ancient capital, and center of Rinzai Zen, Kamakura is blessed with beautiful nature, rich history, and a thriving artist community.

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It’s winter illumination season again in Japan

Some of the illumination displays set up at parks within driving distance of the bases offer a great opportunity to get out, enjoy a fresh walk, social distance and have at least a little taste of the holidays we could all use right about now.

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VIDEO| Take a walk around Lake Okutama

Lake Okutama near Yokota Air Base is a man-made reservoir that provides over 20 percent of Tokyo’s water supply since it opened in 1957.

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VIDEO| Holiday season illuminates Misawa City

Families enjoyed the opening of the illuminations on Nov. 13, which Yoshihito Morita of Stars and Stripes’ Misawa Office said was busy despite cold rain that evening.

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Winter comes early in Misawa as snow blankets area

While most of mainland Japan is enjoying gorgeous autumn leaves, Misawa Air Base and the entire Aomori Prefecture has its first layer of winter white. Yoshihito Morita of Stars and Stripes' Misawa Office, sent us this photo taken Nov. 10 of the first snow in his hometown of Tohokucho, located near the air base.

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Mount Fuji's snow cap getting bigger, more beautiful

Fall is definitely in the air across Japan's Kanto Plain. On Sunday, a cold front came through, leaving some snow on Mount Nantai in Nikko, Mount Asama in Nagano and Mount Komagatake in Yamanashi.

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Food & Drink

Cuisine: Japanese

Japan's nabe a great family meal

Nabe is the perfect dish to do at home with your family. It is a quick and easy one-pot hot meal and it's fun. A wide range of ingredients can be used in nabe.