Mia Jaap, Author at Ja(a)pan

26. November 2011 Mia Jaap art, insadong, seoul

Mokin Museum in Insadong, Seoul

A visit to the Mokin Museum in Insadong, Seoul is the perfect complement to the Chicken Art Museum. Mokins are wooden figures used to decorate funeral carriages.

korea museum

16. November 2011 Mia Jaap history, seoul

The Seoul Museum of History

When I first visited Seoul, I more or less aimlessly wandered around and somehow reached the Seoul Museum of History but didn’t go inside it. If you know your way around, you can cover many museums and other attractions on foot.

korea museum

8. November 2011 Mia Jaap closed, seoul

Museum of Chicken Art in Seoul

One of the strangest museums I’ve come across so far in Seoul is the Museum of Chicken Art. I don’t doubt that Koreans appreciate chickens – especially as part of BBQ, but apparently the animal plays a huge role in Korean traditions.

how-to japan

9. October 2011 Mia Jaap ipad, magazine

Zasshi-Online: Reading Japanese magazines and books on the iPad

I love Japanese magazines and books. There are magazines dedicated to everything from toy camera photography to nail art. I

korea study

8. October 2011 Mia Jaap JLPT, seoul

How to register for the JLPT in Seoul

I’ve written the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) four times in a foreign country – two times in Germany and two times in Japan – and this December I’m going to write it in another foreign country, Korea.

tokyo

28. September 2011 Mia Jaap nakano-ku

When Construction Workers Wake Up

It’s perfectly safe to take a nice stroll at 3 in the morning in Tokyo – for the most part

korea

27. September 2011 Mia Jaap aquarium, busan, haeundae, zoo

Busan Aquarium

Located next to the beach, Busan Aquarium is a popular tourist destination as well. Compared to the aquarium at Seoul’s COEX Mall, the lines were much shorter and they didn’t feel the need to put fishes in all kind of funny places (refrigerator, TV etc.).

korea

27. September 2011 Mia Jaap beach, busan, haeundae

Haeundae Beach in Busan

During our trip to Busan, we also went to Haeundae Beach. Haeundae is probably the most famous of all beaches in Korea and during the Summer season, tourists from all over the country come to Busan just to have fun at an over-crowded beach.

korea music

25. September 2011 Mia Jaap nanta, seoul

Seoul Drum Festival 2011: Drum Cat, Nanta & more

For some reasons, major festivals seem to be concentrated on very few weekends in Seoul. This weekend, there was the Seoul Drum Festival, the YonKo Games and some expat festival.

korea school

25. September 2011 Mia Jaap seoul, yonsei

YonKo Friendship Games – Yonsei vs. Korea University

There is the legendary rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge which is well known even outside of Britain. In Korea there is a similar rivalry between Yonsei and Korea University, both are in the top-3 of Korean universities.

korea

18. September 2011 Mia Jaap busan, night, tower

The View from Busan Tower, Korea

I’ve been to Busan at least five times and not once did I go up the Busan Tower. The tower was opened in 1973 and is a 120m tall structure at Yongdusan Park. It is – just like Seoul’s Namsan Tower – a popular place for couples watching the city lights at night.