Click on photo or link to read the feature • Beyond TokyoThree unique and undiscovered Kyoto gardens Whether you prefer exquisite traditional gardens like Hogon-in, that incorporate uniquely Japanese elements, or gardens like Murin-an that create an oasis of perfected wilderness in the middle of the city, or a decidedly modern riff on Japanese landscape design like…read more • TheContinueContinue reading “SEP 2026”
Category Archives: 2020
FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed
If you don’t subscribe to my Japan travel site (The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had) or the blog where I write about stuff you’d never see anywhere else (Only In Japan), or would like to read what I’ve been writing for other publications on subjects that span from modern samurai travel tips to writingContinueContinue reading “FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed”
Would this be just as great if it were an escalator?
Those of you who have ever walked around Tokyo with me know that I infuriatingly walk past any number of perfectly functional escalators, looking for the stairs. It’s not because I want to torture you, it’s because my body no longer allows me to pound away at a keyboard for hours and expect to justContinueContinue reading “Would this be just as great if it were an escalator?”
The Devotion of Suspect X
by Keigo Higashino In memory of Keigo Higashino (who sadly passed away in July), the September book giveaway is my favorite Japanese mystery writer’s most famous thriller, a diabolically clever tale of love, deception, and misdirection. Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This thriller is classicContinueContinue reading “The Devotion of Suspect X”
Three unique and undiscovered Kyoto gardens
Hogon-in, Murin-an & Suzaku-no-Mori gardens in Kyoto Whether you prefer exquisite traditional gardens like Hogon-in, that incorporate uniquely Japanese elements… or gardens like Murin-an that create an oasis of perfected wilderness in the middle of the city… or a decidedly modern riff on Japanese landscape design like Suzaku-no-Mori… these three spots offer deluxe and thought-provokingContinueContinue reading “Three unique and undiscovered Kyoto gardens”
Tiny Appliances of Japan
At the intersection of Japan’s famously miniscule apartments and the trend toward living alone o-hitori-sama style thrives a market for the world’s tiniest appliances. Some of them are silly, some of them create more work than they save, and some are actually useful. Which are which? You decide! The World’s Tiniest Iron How long itContinueContinue reading “Tiny Appliances of Japan”
What makes the Yasukuni Shrine such a magnet for outrage?
The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is truly majestic. Not only is it a premier example of an Imperial cedar and gold Shinto shrine… it hosts one of summer’s biggest festivals… and features top-notch performances of traditional dance, music, Noh drama, fine handcrafts and street food at its other seasonal celebrations. It’s got a sumo ring,ContinueContinue reading “What makes the Yasukuni Shrine such a magnet for outrage?”
JUL-AUG 2026
Click on photo or link to read the feature • Beyond TokyoLet’s go to hell with a blue beer chaser and ice cream on top! Beppu is famous for its hells. There are seven pools of the damned, each more beautiful than the last. Beppu’s jigoku are natural volcanic mineral pools dressed in astonishingly unnatural-looking colors. TheseContinueContinue reading “JUL-AUG 2026”
Why is it so hard to swear in Japanese?
You can tell when translators are truly bi-cultural because Japanese-Americans translate J-drama subtitles using four-letter words, even though they don’t appear anywhere in the script. Many a foreign teenager has scoured their bilingual dictionary for the equivalents of “sh*t” and “f*ck,” only to be met with gales of laughter when they fling the Japanese wordsContinueContinue reading “Why is it so hard to swear in Japanese?”
Did you win the June Book Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won your choice of one of these three books! The Calamity Club by Kathryn StockettThe Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-RobinsonMemoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and let me know which book you’d like, and if you’dContinueContinue reading “Did you win the June Book Giveaway?”
Let’s go to hell with a blue beer chaser and ice cream on top
Beppu in Oita Prefecture Beppu is famous for its hells. There are seven pools of the damned, each more beautiful than the last. Beppu’s jigoku are natural volcanic mineral pools dressed in astonishingly unnatural-looking colors. These steamy blue, green, red and white cauldrons get their hues from a variety of naturally occurring minerals, and areContinueContinue reading “Let’s go to hell with a blue beer chaser and ice cream on top”
Japan doesn’t have one famous flower season. It has twelve.
Higanbana native amaryllis at Kinchakuda, near Koma Station This is your sign from the universe to stop trying to find some way to be in Japan for the ten days of Classic Pinkness, because you’re about to get clued in on the other flower wow that Japan has been dishing up year-round for centuries. BecauseContinueContinue reading “Japan doesn’t have one famous flower season. It has twelve.”
More Failed Rock Gardens of Japan
I know I already showed you my collection of the finest failed rock gardens in all of Japan, but little did I know there would be more. So many more! Less-than-serene attempts at creating the contemplative landscapes for which Japan is so famous began appearing around every corner. And I don’t think we can crown the previousContinueContinue reading “More Failed Rock Gardens of Japan”
JUNE 2026
Click on photo or link to read the feature • Beyond TokyoLet’s visit the #1 Japanese garden in the world! The Adachi Museum of Art’s garden lands at the top of so many “best Japanese garden in the world” lists because of its classic manicured vistas, which draw the eye to ideal waterfalls, and its pristine rockContinueContinue reading “JUNE 2026”
FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed
If you don’t subscribe to my Japan travel site (The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had) or the blog where I write about stuff you’d never see anywhere else (Only In Japan), here are links to a couple of other things you might enjoy. • From Only in JapanCarnivorous Stuffies Tell me more! • FromContinueContinue reading “FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed”
Cures for your book hangover: What to read after The Samurai’s Octopus
A chance to win one of these three great novels that will cure your book hangover Want to stay in a world where an orphan girl growing up in an iffy situation must dodge the dangers and go along with the games played by powerful men and beautiful women, until she gets a chance toContinueContinue reading “Cures for your book hangover: What to read after The Samurai’s Octopus”
A garden so famous for its iris, it’s in all the woodblock prints
Hiroshige immortalized Horikiri Shōbu-en in “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” in 1857, Toyokuni used it as a location for his series of beauties in 1859… Adachi Ginkō hopped on the bandwagon in 1889… and that’s just a small sample of the artists who have been inspired to immortalize this garden devoted to one ofContinueContinue reading “A garden so famous for its iris, it’s in all the woodblock prints”
Let’s visit the #1 Japanese garden in the world
Adachi Museum of Art in Shimane Prefecture There are many reasons the Adachi Museum of Art’s garden lands at the top of so many “best Japanese garden in the world” lists. Its classic manicured vistas… draw the eye to ideal waterfalls… and its pristine rock gardens… lie alongside sparkling streams and pillowy moss. Ponds areContinueContinue reading “Let’s visit the #1 Japanese garden in the world”
Garden tricks unmasked: How the Adachi Museum garden makes you think it’s huge
As you gaze at the Adachi Museum’s rolling hills planted with artfully shaped foliage… its series of achingly beautiful rock gardens… with spectacular water features (that even include this perfect thread of a waterfall)… you begin to feel immersed in a new and better world. How could you not unwind and smile, surrounded by natureContinueContinue reading “Garden tricks unmasked: How the Adachi Museum garden makes you think it’s huge”
MAY 2026
Click on photo or link to read the feature • Beyond TokyoIs 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 asContinueContinue reading “MAY 2026”
SPECIAL EDITION 2026
Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned TodayWhat are foreigners like? For three hundred years, Dutch traders were the only foreigners allowed in Japan, but they were confined to an island in Nagasaki. People were intensely curious about the exotic barbarians, though, so woodblock artists trekked across the DejimaContinueContinue reading “SPECIAL EDITION 2026”
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 “the thing that hangs below”)… Photo thanks to Sohu which was looped through their sash or trouser-skirt ties.ContinueContinue reading “Tiny exquisite carvings that deliver secret messages”
Oirans are alive and well and living in Tokyo, but now they’re…MEN?
It’s not hard to draw a line from the oirans of the Edo Period to the geisha who took their place—both were women making a living entertaining wealthy men with music, dance and witty banter, both belonged to a “house” that served as their home, family, and booking agent, and both took traditional Japanese styleContinueContinue reading “Oirans are alive and well and living in Tokyo, but now they’re…MEN?”
Did you win the April Book Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Girl in a Box by Jean Gordon Kocienda! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and let me know if you’d like the Kindle version or the hardcover. If you’d like the Kindle version, let me know which email you’d likeContinueContinue reading “Did you win the April Book Giveaway?”
FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed
If you don’t subscribe to my Japan travel site (The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had) or the blog where I write about stuff you’d never see anywhere else (Only In Japan), here are links to a couple of other things you might enjoy. And because of the book launch, this month I’m including someContinueContinue reading “FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed”
Is this shrine worth traveling nine hours to see? You decide!
Hayasuhime Shrine in Oita Prefecture 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 that picture, the more I wanted to payContinueContinue reading “Is this shrine worth traveling nine hours to see? You decide!”
Did you win a copy of The Samurai’s Octopus?
Okay, obviously I can’t review my own book (ahaha that would be cheating!) but a few other people took a sneak peek at the advance review copy, and here’s what they had to say… “The Samurai’s Octopus…is a truly remarkable book, one that surprised and charmed me at every turn of the page. It’s one ofContinueContinue reading “Did you win a copy of The Samurai’s Octopus?”
Answers to your burning Japan questions
Here are some deeper dives into why Japan is the way it is, and real world links to crazy facts from the Samurai’s Octopus… • Why are tattoos still taboo in Japan?Spoiler: it’s not because they think you’re a gangster In feudal Japan (the samurai era, when The Samurai’s Octopus takes place), the entire societyContinueContinue reading “Answers to your burning Japan questions”
You won’t believe who I ran into in the Floating World!
Q: What do the world’s biggest baseball star… a world-class violinist… the cast and crew of a blockbuster streaming drama… and NHK news anchors… have in common with geisha… bar hostesses, and “wives for a night”? A: They’re all card-carrying members of the same floating world that Yoshiwara’s first-rank oirans ruled over in the samuraiContinueContinue reading “You won’t believe who I ran into in the Floating World!”
Let’s dress in samurai armor and swagger around a gorgeous castle…just for starters!
A fabulous day trip to Odawara You don’t have to spend big bucks and hours on the bullet train to see one of the top castles in Japan and learn what it was like to live like a samurai lord. Odawara is an easy day trip from Tokyo! But there’s more. If you play yourContinueContinue reading “Let’s dress in samurai armor and swagger around a gorgeous castle…just for starters!”
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