I know a pretty famous person of letters in Japan by the name of Mitsuyo Kakuta. She’s written over a dozen books, the last two translated into English, and the present one is being made into a big movie next … Continue reading
Category Archives: Japan
2300 yen ($27) is a good deal for a capsule hotel, which you can get a glimpse of in the bottom of the photo. A dorm bed in a youth hostel typically costs as much or more than this. Capsules … Continue reading
I wrote before about the excessive safety precautions in Japan. This scene is on the smallest of side streets. I waited for a car or motorbike to go by to get a good picture of the “traffic” guard in action, … Continue reading
I’m normally the farthest thing from a food snob, but sushi I very rarely will try outside of Japan. It just doesn’t seem right. (Same goes for Mexican food outside of North America.) Greg took me to a fancy sushi … Continue reading
Normally I don’t like to have too many photos on one post, but normally I don’t have a friend taking photos while my finger is being sliced open. It was due to my own fears and inefficiency that I waited … Continue reading
In Japan you can pay with a 10,000 yen note for something that is 105 yen ALWAYS and ANYWHERE without a peep from the cashier. In what other country can you go into a small convenience store, for example, and … Continue reading
I am in a community next to Sugadaira, about 200km north of Tokyo in the Japanese Alps, not far from where the 1998 Olympics were held in Nagano. Tokyoites like to come up here as the air is cooler and … Continue reading
What do I have to do to get you to watch four short Japanese music videos? I know you lead busy lives and nothing gets between you and your Norwegian Death Metal, but if you aren’t familiar with Japanese music, … Continue reading
Not many people know this, but “Japan” is a relatively modern word originating from the Meiji Dynasty that means “without garbage cans”. (TheDromomaniac.com is a laff riot!) The can in the middle is a new, milk-based drink that has the … Continue reading