TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
HANABIRAMOCHI ( 花びら餅 )- a Japanese sweet for January ( especially for HATSUGAMA- the First Tea Ceremony of the Year) which has roots in an ancient court ceremony
14 January, 2021
By Avi Landau
Since the Tsukuba Science City lies amidst the centuries old rustic hamlets of rural Ibaraki Prefecture, it is naturally a great place in which to familiarize oneself with the traditional culture and customs of this area. What makes this small city even more interesting, however, is that besides the presence of the families who have lived here for generations, there is a disproportionally large number of NEW RESIDENTS ( shin ju-min, 新住民) who have come from all corners of the Japanese Archipelago, to live and work here, often in connection with the many research facilities and institutions of higher learning for which our city is now famous.