Japanese Culture Category
You don’t “just” buy flowers in Japan.
Posted on March 23, 2021 2 Comments

Last week Aven and I went to a flower shop to buy some flowers for a Japanese friend who had a birthday. It was our first time in a Japanese flower shop and after looking around for 5 minutes or so, we picked a bunch of flowers we thought looked pretty and went to the […]
Disaster and the love of God
Posted on April 26, 2019 2 Comments

(Please note these are my own cultural observations. I do not dare to think that I have come anywhere close to fully understanding the depth and complexity of Japanese thinking and culture) Japan is a land of natural disasters. Tsunamis, typhoons, mudslides, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions attack without mercy just about every year and […]
3 Months In…is AJ getting culture shock????
Posted on August 15, 2018 6 Comments

Its been 3 months since we arrived in Sapporo Japan to start our journey into long term missions. I feel we have adjusted well overall but I would be wrong to say that it’s always been easy. I wanted to share what has been the hardest aspect to deal with during this transition phase but […]
Japan is coming to Joburg
Posted on September 14, 2016 Leave a Comment

Hey guys! Two events are coming up soon whereby South Africans around Joburg can get a taste of Japanese culture. First is a music concert at the Linder Auditorium at WITS. It includes two world class acts. 1. Terumasa Hino: One of Japan’s finest jazz musicians. 2. Himiko: A Taiko Drum band. A authentic Japanese […]
Feeling Lucky in Japan.
Posted on August 9, 2016 Leave a Comment

Japan is a land filled with spiritual mystery. One example is how almost every shrine or temple in Japan has a booth selling “omamori”. They are amulets believed to be endowed with divine power. Each talisman has a different effect and there are MANY of them. They come in all kinds of forms and sizes […]
Sakura and the Hope of a Savior
Posted on April 4, 2016 2 Comments

Aven and I just recently returned from a two week scouting trip to Japan. I will write something of a report about our trip later because we first need some time to process and think through what we experienced. However, I wanted to share one story now. The blooming of Sakura (Cherry Blossom) trees in […]
Japan Trip March 2015
Posted on September 25, 2015 Leave a Comment

Aven and I were privileged to go to Japan for 11 days over the Easter holiday. We enjoyed delicious food like ramen, sushi, squid and rice dishes; to name a few.Experienced a culture so very different to our own, and got to see and participate in many unique activities and we thank God for all […]