Author Archives: Jonelle Patrick

NOV 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Diving into swirling leaves and swimming fish You don’t have to brave the elements to see the most spectacular autumn leaves in Japan anymore! Shinagawa Aqua Park teams up with the Naked, Inc. projection mapping artists to conjure up new immersive delights in everyContinueContinue reading “NOV 2024”

You haven’t experienced Deep Japan until you ride the overnight ferry

There was an inexplicably fabulous fireworks show as we pulled out of Oarai—probably nothing to do with the ferry—but it was the kind of serendipitous thing that so often happens when you veer off onto a less-traveled path in Japan If you want to truly earn the Deep Japan badge, forget going from here toContinueContinue reading “You haven’t experienced Deep Japan until you ride the overnight ferry”

Nine Japanese inventions we need right now

1: The <help!> I-got-caught-in-the-rain shoe dryer 2: The public bathroom sink with a built-in hand dryer 3: Sandwich bread with the crusts already cut off 4: Mirrored back wall of laundromat dryer makes sure no sock is left behind because it’s hiding in a place you can’t see 5: Special washing machines dedicated to sneakerContinueContinue reading “Nine Japanese inventions we need right now”

Did you win the Sep-Oct Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Final Curtain! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me where to send it. (I’ll need an email address if you’d like the e-book or a mailing address if you’d like a paperback). If I didn’t pull yourContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Sep-Oct Book Giveaway?”

Let’s dive into swirling leaves and swimming fish!

You don’t have to brave the elements to see the most spectacular autumn leaves in Japan anymore! Shinagawa Aqua Park teams up with the Naked, Inc. projection mapping artists to conjure up new immersive delights in every season, but none are more spectacular than the fabulous fall fantasy swirling around Aqua Park’s spectacular collection ofContinueContinue reading “Let’s dive into swirling leaves and swimming fish!”

OCT 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Beyond Tokyo:A real-life vine bridge and other unknown Shikoku delights! Shikoku delivers so many great experiences that you can’t have anywhere else. The Kazurabashi Vine Bridge would make Indiana Jones pause before attempting to cross its swaying 45-meter length with between-the-toes glimpses of…read more •ContinueContinue reading “OCT 2024”

The Final Curtain

By Keigo Higashino Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: The latest murder mystery from bestselling author Keigo Higashino delivers the usual meticulous puzzle solving we expect of detectives Kaga and Matsumiya, and will not disappoint those who love detailed police procedurals. Keigo Higashino is one ofContinueContinue reading “The Final Curtain”

“Mundane Halloween” costumes I wish I’d thought of

Japan may be the over-the-top costuming mecca of the world, but it’s also the home of Halloween’s most hilarious dress-up trend: Mundane Halloween. These revelers capture ordinary people doing ordinary things who are as nevertheless as recognizable as Godzilla, but twice as funny. Here are some of my all-time favorites, most from the annual “MundaneContinueContinue reading ““Mundane Halloween” costumes I wish I’d thought of”

A real-life vine bridge and other undiscovered Shikoku delights!

Exploring Shikoku beyond the art islands and the temples Most visitors only visit the Japanese island of Shikoku to trek around the famous 88-temple pilgrimage or ogle the art on the island of Naoshima… but Shikoku delivers so many great experiences you can’t have anywhere else. Like…the Kazurabashi Vine Bridge! Forty-five meters long and twoContinueContinue reading “A real-life vine bridge and other undiscovered Shikoku delights!”

SEP 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Green and Serene: Design secrets of Japanese gardens If there’s one thing we need right now in this brutally continuing summer, it’s a stroll in a Japanese garden. But how can they be such an oasis of cool and calm in the midst ofContinueContinue reading “SEP 2024”

Japanese Chilled Summer Noodles

Sōmen for the win! Cold sōmen noodles are as much a tradition in Japan’s summertime as potato salad and corn on the cob are in the US. These deliciously thin noodles are served cold, with a satisfyingly salty dipping sauce and an assortment of all your favorite Japanese tastes! They’re also the most entertaining noodlesContinueContinue reading “Japanese Chilled Summer Noodles”

Green and serene: The gardens you need right now

The Japanese garden at Shinjuku Gyōen in Tokyo never disappoints If there’s one thing Japanese gardens are the total boss of, it’s being green and serene. They’re stunning in every season, even without a single flower. They’re highly designed, but feel completely natural; miniature worlds where every tree and bush is ideally shaped, and everyContinueContinue reading “Green and serene: The gardens you need right now”

Did you win the Jul-Aug Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Emissary by Yoko Tawada! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me where to send it. (I’ll need an email address if you’d like the e-book or a mailing address if you’d like a paperback). If I didn’tContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Jul-Aug Book Giveaway?”

Inexplicable Animal Toys of Japan

Every time I’m browsing the toy floor of the big Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara, I’m stopped in my tracks by the plastic animal display. Can you imagine some small Japanese child begging their parental unit for…the prehistoric stuff of nightmares? Or a squeamishly realistic octopus? Japanese children must have way more imagination than I did,ContinueContinue reading “Inexplicable Animal Toys of Japan”

Perfect Day in Tokyo #7

Like all good travelers, you arrive in Japan clutching your must-see list, but one of the best things about Tokyo is the great experiences you can have just roaming around. The neighborhoods around the star attractions often deliver delights that are just as memorable as the thing that brought you there. Here are the otherContinueContinue reading “Perfect Day in Tokyo #7”

AUG 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Japanese glass bells: the sweet sound of summer The sweet chimes of fūrin bells aren’t just a pretty summer soundtrack! In the dark days before AC was invented, they were one of the major weapons against the relentlessly hot and steamy Japanese summertime…read more • Why,ContinueContinue reading “AUG 2024”

The Emissary

By Yoko Tawada Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This winner of the National Book Award for translated literature is not only one of the best books by a Japanese author I’ve ever read—and the most stunningly excellent literary translation I’ve ever read—it’s one of theContinueContinue reading “The Emissary”

Japanese glass bells: The sweet sound of summer

The sweet chimes of fūrin bells aren’t just a pretty summer soundtrack! In the dark days before AC was invented, they were one of the major weapons against the relentlessly hot and steamy Japanese summertime. Everything about them exudes coolness, from the clear airiness of the glass bell… to their cheery seasonal motifs, recalling warmContinueContinue reading “Japanese glass bells: The sweet sound of summer”

Snacks with tentacles

Admit it: you can’t wait to dare your travel companions to nom down on some fine squid-on-a-stick when you stroll past the food stands at your next Japanese festival. But did you know they can’t weasel out of it by refusing to travel during the summer matsuri season? Just walk into any convenience store and toss oneContinueContinue reading “Snacks with tentacles”

Did you win the May-Jun Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Kamogawa Food Detectives! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me where to send it. (I’ll need an email address if you’d like the e-book or a mailing address if you’d like a paperback). If I didn’t pullContinueContinue reading “Did you win the May-Jun Book Giveaway?”

The weird things you can buy in Japanese vending machines

One thing you can always count on is that the moment you set foot on Japanese soil, vending machines will be waiting to greet you, and the beverage of your dreams is but a few coins away. The mix of hot and cold offerings waxes and wanes with the seasons, along with the seasonal fruitContinueContinue reading “The weird things you can buy in Japanese vending machines”

J-Style Poke Bowl

A cool & satisfying summer meal you can make in minutes! When Japanese laborers arrived in Hawaii to work the cane fields a century ago, they brought chirashi sushi with them—a simple meal of rice topped with fresh-caught fish that was the ideal no-cook meal for a tropical climate. Over time, it evolved into theContinueContinue reading “J-Style Poke Bowl”

Let’s go see where that fabulous Meisen kimono silk comes from!

Chichibu Meisen-kan in Saitama Prefecture It’s no secret I’m a major fangirl when it comes to Jazz Age kimonos, and if you’ve been following Only In Japan, you’ll remember that fabulous exhibit at the Yayoi-Yumeji Museum that showcased Meisen silk kimonos with patterns influenced by modern art… kitchy Western motifs… and the sheer graphic exuberanceContinueContinue reading “Let’s go see where that fabulous Meisen kimono silk comes from!”

JUN 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned Today:The Mingei Movement celebrates the high art of ordinary things in all new ways From brooms to lamps to dishware, what makes Mingei art so different from all others is that every piece is useful—not merely decorative—and is made by ordinaryContinueContinue reading “JUN 2024”

The Kamogawa Food Detectives

By Hisashi Kashiwai If you loved Midnight Diner, you’ll like this book. Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: If you loved Midnight Diner as much as I did, this book is for you. By recreating special dishes remembered by his customers, a retired police detective andContinueContinue reading “The Kamogawa Food Detectives”

The Mingei Movement celebrates the high art of ordinary things

Discovering the sublime in objects that areordinary,useful,imperfect,become more beautiful when well-used,andare made by anonymous artists The first display at the Setagaya Art Museum’s “Mingei: The Beauty of Everyday Things” recreates the inaugural exhibit at the Mingeikan Folk Crafts Museum, and features some of the pieces from Soetsu Yanagi’s seminal collection that inspired the Mingei Movement.ContinueContinue reading “The Mingei Movement celebrates the high art of ordinary things”

Let’s climb a thousand stone steps to Japan’s famous Mountain Temple!

Yamadera in Yamagata Prefecture The hydrangeas are in bloom and it’s the perfect time of year to climb those thousand steps to Yamadera (literally “mountain temple”), a famed pilgrimage spot since the year 860. The view that will reward us after climbing the thousand stone steps to the top is pretty spectacular… …but it’s theContinueContinue reading “Let’s climb a thousand stone steps to Japan’s famous Mountain Temple!”

Come for the art island, stay for the tea garden

Ritsurin Koen in Takamatsu, Shikoku You came, you saw, you appreciated all the art on Naoshima. But the memory that will stick with you from Takamatsu—the city you thought of as merely the jumping-off place for the art island ferry—is that perfect afternoon stroll through Ritsurin Koen. This huge and stunning tea garden was builtContinueContinue reading “Come for the art island, stay for the tea garden”