Winter is beautiful and to enjoy it you need to beat the winter blues. Here are some great tips for making the best of Japan in winter.

Even more than we’re familiar with, from season to season you will see a change in fashion, of the foods people eat, even the furniture around the house. Here, then, are some of the ways in which Autumn - or as the Japanese call it, ‘Aki’ (秋) - plays a role in the life of a Japanese person.

Sometimes its something as basic as a cup of coffee brewed just the way they like it. Other times it can be simple food items, and sometimes it can be something much more complex. So join me today as we look at the top 5 items that you can only get in Japan, and the Japanese themselves can’t live without.

You have probably seen this scene in a Japanese TV-drama before: it is night time, everyone is at home, and the whole family gathers around this tiny low table on the floor with a thick heavy cover lying on top.