Lotus plants grow wild mainly in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Northern hemisphere and are thought to have been cultivated in Japan since the Nara period (710–94). The pedestal for Buddha ...

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These are Japanese pickles, made by marinating thinly sliced, boiled renkon (lotus root) in sweet vinegar. Cutting V-shaped notches around the outside edges of the renkon creates the image of flowers ...

Most of my early trips to Japan involved visiting my brother, back when he was living in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. One day while waiting for a train at the station, I passed the time by staring ...