Hello Japan! is a monthly mini-challenge focusing on Japanese literature and culture. Each month there is a new task which relates to some aspect of life in Japan. November’s mission is to share ‘Five Japanese Favourites‘.
I guess we’re all sorry that this will be the last mini challenge for a while. But we have a fun time to look back upon and as I joined in the first challenge, I couldn’t miss the last! As a ‘tribute’ I decided to list my five favourite Hello Japan! topics for this task!
5 Favourite Hello Japan tasks!
The Hello Japan! mini missions started in 2009, shortly after I stumbled upon In Spring it is the Dawn. Tanabata’s blog struck a chord with me and has been one of my favourites ever since. I consider her a friend, even if she lives far away and we’ve never met. ;) Now that she’s moving, I missed the chance of meeting her in Tokyo — but no doubt there will be another chance somewhere else in the future! ;)
Looking back, I really feel like sharing my five favourite Hello Japan! mini challenges.
- Japanese food / Japanese Cooking
I’m a foodie, so what did you expect? I made sesame crusted rice patties and, after wanting to for ages, gyoza for the first time. - Celebrating Spring & Sakura
I think this was my favourite mission by far. I’d have loved to do this again in the remaining three seasons… Maybe a reason for Hello Japan! to be revived next year? ;) - Japanese Music
Although I didn’t expect this topic to appeal to me very much, I surprised myself by going totally overboard and posted no less than 5 ‘music sessions’. You’ll find the links in a sixth, my Japanuary’s wrap-up post! - Something new
I admit I could have challenged myself a bit more, but using white miso for the first time in shiromiso soup was a great success! - Murakami? Or origami?
Hmmmmmm, going with the old love origami I think. It triggered me to do my very first youtube video!
Looking at this list I seem to like challenges that A. fit exactly in my comfort zones (dôh) and B. leave room for interpretation. I regret that the topics actually relating to Japanese culture didn’t make it into my top-5. It doesn’t mean I don’t like these, because I do! Like Temples and shrines of Kyoto and Japanese flora.
There are also four (nope, not five ;) challenges I desperately wanted to do but didn’t get around to.
- Summer Double / When One Isn’t Enough
- Non-fiction
- On the Big Screen: Japanese films #FAIL #shameonme
- Manga
If you’re interested, here are all the Hello Japan! mini challenges I participated in!
I’d like to end with a huge THANK YOU!!! to our generous host Tanabata who thought up this challenge and kept it going for so long. Each time she awarded a fitting prize to one of the participants — and althought the missions would have been just as much fun without them, I’d be lying if I denied these were an incentive. ;) So kudos Tanabata!!!
My BX bookshelf
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zondag 11 december 2011 bij 13:22
Uniflame
I failed to participate in the last months. I have just been so busy that I had to let certain things slip :( Still not happy about it that I had to though.
zondag 11 december 2011 bij 21:59
Chinoiseries
While I only haphazardly participated in the past few months, it was really nice to see what you and the other participants had done. I agree, it just became more fun because of our lovely hostess Tanabata :-)
woensdag 14 december 2011 bij 20:31
tanabata
You’re very welcome! Thanks for taking part in many of the various tasks and thank you so much for your kind words. It makes me so happy to know that you’ve enjoyed the Hello Japan! mini-challenge, and you have perhaps encouraged me to bring it back after we get settled. ;)
donderdag 15 december 2011 bij 04:28
Novroz
I also like the origami challenge….my turtles’ first challenge ;) so fun to have Kroten stayed still till I finished folding the sea turtle origami.