We have curated some fun inspiration for your journey to the cultural center of Japan!
Who else is ready for some food, shrines, amazing landscapes, & more!?
Decoration Ideas
Table Decorations
Use white butcher paper rolls to cover tables, tape them underneath to have them stay, and have your residents paint or draw koi fish and cherry blossoms, or have them use their Japanese woodblock craft stamps we have provided! Follow the linked tutorials for more!
And then, there’s food!
Japanese food isn’t just sustenance, it is art, culture, and a sensory experience all in one! Have residents learn to use chopsticks to make the meal more fun or as an activity! Then make sure your meal includes one or more of the following:
- Rice
- Fish
- Sushi
- Ramen
- Tofu
- Edamame (in the pods, they are great for dexterity!)
- Pickled Asian vegetables
Passport and Stamp
Keep up with all the fun destinations by printing this passport booklet. Each destination will have a stamp the resident can color to cut and glue to the passport.
Crafts to Do
- KOI WATERCOLOR ART PROJECT
- This Origami Butterfly Bookmark is elegant and a great way to keep those hands going!
- Here’s a simple Japanese craft project you and your residents can dabble in – Japanese paper fans. It’s easy to make from scratch and you can even combat the summer heat!
Virtual Tours & YouTube Links
- Kyoto Japan Travel Guide – Kyoto Top 8 beautiful must visit places especially for first time tourist.
- Exploring Kyoto In Spring, Japan | Slow Travel Vlog
- Beautiful Kyoto: Being a Maiko – all about being an apprentice Geisha
- Visiting Kyoto Japan
Japanese Movie Suggestions
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), R, Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Late Spring (1949), NR, Drama
- Rashomon (1950), NR, Drama, Crime, Mystery
- Seven Samurai (1954) R, Action, Adventure, Drama, Long Movie (3+hours)
- Spirited Away (2001) PG, Animated, Drama, Music
- The Taste of Tea (2004) NR, Comedy, Drama, Music
- Zatôichi (2003) NR, Comedy, Action
- Princess Mononoke (1997) PG, Animated, Adventure, Fantasy
- Grave Of The Fireflies (1988) PG-13, Animated, Historical
- Yojimbo (1961) R, Comedy, Drama
- Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011), PG, Uplifting Documentary, Drama
- Lost in Translation (2003), R, Dry Comedy, Drama
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988), G, Animation, Family, Fantasy
Movies set in Kyoto:
- Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), PG-13, Romance, Drama, Historical
- A Chaos of Flowers/Hana no ran (1988), Drama
- The Geisha House (1998), Drama
- The Makioka Sisters (1983), NR, Drama, Romance
- Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog (2004), NR
- Rikyu (1989), Drama, History
- Zen – a biography of Dōgen Zenji, a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher (2009), Drama, Biography
Explore Japan in a Novel or Memoir
The full list with brief descriptions are listed here.
- Memoirs of a Geisha, Lena Andersson
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami
- Geisha of Gion, Mineko Iwasaki
- Kitchen, Banana Yoshimoto
- A Year in Japan, by Kate T. Williamson
- I am a Cat, Natsume Soseki
Music Suggestions
- 1 HOUR OF KYOTO SOUNDSCAPES (generative, calm, meditation music)
- Road Trip to Kyoto – Spotify Playlist
Here are our Printable Activities and Offerings to help round out your “trip”!
Check out printable products!
