JAPANAGRAM ARCHIVE

Welcome!

Here’s where you can browse all the published Japangrams. Each month’s features will appear in this archive at the beginning of the month, as soon as the next Japanagram is out.

Click on the monthly photo to browse the contents of that issue, or click on the links below to go straight to each feature

Beyond Tokyo: Kamakura Matsuri igloo festival • Japanese Home Cooking: Tasty Ginger Pork • Seasonal Secret: Weird Chocolate • Why, Japan, Why?: Why the most interesting thing you eat in Japan might be spaghetti • Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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Beyond Tokyo: Firewalking at Mt. Takao • Japanese Home Cooking: Tender Japanese Beef & Vegetables + Curry Rice • Seasonal Secret: Nine Great (Secret) Cherry Blossom Spots in Tokyo • Why, Japan, Why?: Why Oreos are more Japanese than sumo wrestlers in Japan • Book Review: Ghosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry

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Beyond Tokyo: Koi Nobori at Tatebayashi • Japanese Home Cooking: Creamy Sesame Noodles • Seasonal Secret: The Other Season that Blooms in the Spring • Why, Japan, Why?: Why you should be careful what you wish for • Book Review: Newcomer by Keigo Higashino

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Beyond Tokyo: Koya-san • Seasonal Secret: Six things you didn’t expect to discover on a pilgrimage • Book Review: Where the Dead Pause and the Japanese Say Goodbye by Marie Mutsuki Mockett • Japanese Home Cooking: Yakitori Chicken Mini-Burgers

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Beyond Tokyo: Bunny Island • Seasonal Secret: Keep cool in the summer, the Japanese way • Book Review: The Essential Haiku, edited by Robert Hass • Japanese Home Cooking: Japanese Chicken Salad with Tangy Soy-Lemon Dressing • Why, Japan, Why? How did Japan escape a severe COVID pandemic without lockdowns or mass testing?

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Beyond Tokyo: Gyoda Ancient Lotus Park • Seasonal Secret: Souvenirs NOT to buy in July • Book Review: Shinjū by Laura Joh Rowland • Japanese Home Cooking: Sweet & Salty Miso Grilling Sauce • Why, Japan, Why?: Why did NHK try to Japansplain the global anti-racism protests with this excruciatingly embarrassing video?

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Beyond Tokyo: Shiraito-no-taki Falls • Book Reviews: CLIMB and Claws of the Cat by Susan Spann • Japanese Home Cooking: Brown Sugar Dessert Sauce • Why, Japan, Why?: How Japan has perfected the honorable art of eating alone

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Beyond Tokyo: Shigaraki Tanuki Town • Japanese Home Cooking: Japanese Rice Bowl with Miso Salmon • Why, Japan, Why?: Strange Japanese beauty goals • Seasonal Secret: Three modest September flowers that are spectacular in numbers • Book Giveaway: It Was You

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Beyond Tokyo: Suwa City, Nagano • Japanese Home Cooking: Apple-Ginger Sours Cocktail/Mocktail • Why, Japan, Why?: Tiny pants, the garbage police, and the more friends you have, the lonelier you might be • Book Giveaway: The Tale of Murasaki

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Beyond Tokyo: Jakko-in, the convent with a secret • Japanese Home Cooking: Sesame-Miso Hotpot • Why, Japan, Why?: Why is it so much harder to get a Japanese boyfriend than a Japanese girlfriend? • Book Giveaway: The Last Tea Bowl Thief

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Beyond Tokyo: Kenroku-en Garden lit up at night • Seasonal Secret: Bonsai Chrysanthemums • Japanese Home Cooking: Chicken & Ginger Yakitori Meatballs • Why, Japan, Why?: Are ya feelin’ lucky? How Japanese tip the hand of fate • Book Giveaway: Idoru • Book news you can use: Writing how-tos, killer reviews, podcasts & more

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If you’d like to see Japanagram features like these the moment they’re published, and be entered to win the monthly book giveaway, click here

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And if you love Japan, you might enjoy The Last Tea Bowl Thief too

“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist

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Jonelle Patrick writes mystery novels set in Tokyo, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had