MAY 2026


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Beyond Tokyo
Is this shrine worth traveling nine hours to see? You decide!

During my immersion in All Things Octopus, I heard of this crazy shrine where the resident cats had delayed the installation and consecration of the deity figure because they kept using it as a scratching post. And the more I looked at the picture…read more

Why, Japan, Why?
Oirans are alive and well and living in Tokyo, but now they’re… MEN?

It’s never been hard for men to buy female companionship at any time in history, anywhere in the world, but Japan has turned that proposition on its head. Welcome to the world of host clubs, the invitation-only bars where attractive young men…read more

The Thing I Learned Today
Tiny exquisite carvings that deliver secret messages

Back in Edo Era Japan, men wore kimonos when they dressed to impress, but they suffered from the same affliction women do today: no pockets. That’s why they carried sagamono (a tiny, multi-tiered man-purse that literally means…read more

FOMO links:
Here’s some fun stuff you might have missed…

If you don’t subscribe to Only in Japan,  The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had, or the other places I’ve been writing during launch month, here are links to posts about the only place on earth you can escape AI and ads, why…read more

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Looking for a book that will whisk you away to Japan, no matter where you are?

Meet Birdie, a vulnerable young courtesan’s apprentice who must untangle a murder tied up with the secret of her own birth, while keeping herself safe from the powerful men and desperate women who surround her.

“…a complete immersion in a world of beauty, drama, secrets, and betrayals.”
Kim Hays, author of the Polizei Bern series

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly Japanagram newsletter, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

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