Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Weird only-in-Japan ways to stay warm in winter! How do you keep from freezing when the temperature takes a dive and you live in a house that’s insulation-challenged (if not downright colder inside than outside)? No surprise, there are only-in-Japan solutions for all yourContinueContinue reading “FEB 2025”
Category Archives: February
They Hang Me in Tokyo
A barbarian artist’s life-changing journey to master nihonga, the traditional art of Japan By Allan West Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: N/AEntertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This account of what it’s like to master one of the oldest forms of painting in the world and carve out a place inContinueContinue reading “They Hang Me in Tokyo”
Let’s try some weird only-in-Japan ways to stay warm in winter!
How do you keep from freezing in the season when most of Japan looks like this In Tokyo winter is mostly just a cute little season, but just a smidgen farther north, Japan is buried in freezing temps for months and you live in a house that’s insulation-challenged, if not downright colder inside than outside?ContinueContinue reading “Let’s try some weird only-in-Japan ways to stay warm in winter!”
The hilarious video game you win with your killer…manners?
From the YouTube video Consider It: The Co-op Mode Only in Japan would a video game go viral for rewarding those who are more skilled at wielding the magic word than the magic sword. But that doesn’t explain why “Kūki Yomi” (a Japanese phrase that means “read the air” and is translated to “Consider It”*ContinueContinue reading “The hilarious video game you win with your killer…manners?”
JAN-FEB 2024
Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned Today:All about Nihonga: A master reveals the secrets behind Japan’s ancient form of painting If there’s an incredibly difficult way of making something and it takes a lifetime to master, you can be sure Japan has perfected it. That is especiallyContinueContinue reading “JAN-FEB 2024”
Did you win the Nov-Dec Book Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Last Yakuza! 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 the paperback). If I didn’t pull yourContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Nov-Dec Book Giveaway?”
What the heckin’ heck is THIS?
First, let’s answer last month’s question and find out what the heckin’ heck was THAT? Answer: A mold for making penguin rice balls with a special punch to make the features from nori dried seaweed sheets The latest lunch cuteness for the bento arms race! • So now let’s ponder…what the heckin’ heck is THIS?ContinueContinue reading “What the heckin’ heck is THIS?”
Bite-Sized Mont Blancs
These may not strike you as a typical Japanese dessert, but if you’ve been to Japan, you know that not a single bakery fails to have their own version of this cold weather classic. The combination of a buttery, crunchy base with fluffy whipped cream and sweet—but not too sweet—chestnut puree makes this an enduringContinueContinue reading “Bite-Sized Mont Blancs”
Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone
By Rie McClenny & Sanae Lemoine Authenticity of recipes: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: N/AEase of instructions: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Recipe appeal : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: An excellent Japanese cookbook for people living outside Japan, especially if you’re a novice at Japanese cooking. We all want to eat healthy and delicious food—especially after the holidays—and deciding to eat more Japanese cuisine isContinueContinue reading “Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone”
Zao Onsen in winter: Hot springs, snow monsters and more!
Zao Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture Zao Onsen is a perfect example of what makes Japan so extra—there are plenty of places in the world you can ski through a forest of snowy trees… but where else can you do it chased by snow monsters… and stay at an inn that’s been in business for fourContinueContinue reading “Zao Onsen in winter: Hot springs, snow monsters and more!”
Flavors I do not want to try
Nevermind the challenging everyday aspects of Japanese cuisine—try these squid guts and cod testicles!—it’s the western-style foods in all-the-no flavors that I want to run away from, screaming… Category 1: Things that should not be vegetable flavored Pancakes should never be a vehicle for spinach • Tomatoes and carrots should not be allowed anywhere nearContinueContinue reading “Flavors I do not want to try”
All about nihonga: A master reveals the secrets behind Japan’s ancient form of painting
Ancient painting technique, new energy: Allan West never stops showing the world what nihonga can be If there’s an incredibly difficult way of making something and it takes a lifetime to master, you can be sure Japan has perfected it. That is especially true of nihonga, the vanishing art of painting with pigments ground fromContinueContinue reading “All about nihonga: A master reveals the secrets behind Japan’s ancient form of painting”
JAN-FEB 2023
Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret: Feast your eyes on these Japanese New Year’s decorations From December 28 to January 7, Japanese new year decorations hang on every door, beckoning in good luck and prosperity for the coming year…read more • The Thing I Learned Today: Why do JapaneseContinueContinue reading “JAN-FEB 2023”
Did you win the Nov-Dec Japan Swag Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a realer-than-real sushi fridge magnet! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me where you’d like me to send it! (I’ll need a mailing address for this one,) If I didn’t pull your name from the hat this time, you might getContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Nov-Dec Japan Swag Giveaway?”
Why are used cars, beautiful old houses and vintage kimonos so cheap in Japan?
The longer you’re in Japan—a place known for the meticulous preservation of its ancient sites and the intricacy of its recycling rules—the weirder it seems that Japanese people insist on buying only new houses, new cars, new clothing, new everything. Saddest of all, they often even refuse to adopt pets that had previous owners. It’sContinueContinue reading “Why are used cars, beautiful old houses and vintage kimonos so cheap in Japan?”
Feast your eyes on these Japanese New Year decorations
From December 28 to January 7, Japanese new year decorations hang on every door, beckoning in good luck and prosperity for the coming year, but they’re just plain beautiful too! Shimenawas are stuffed with symbolism (red and white, to scare away evil spirits and attract good luck, rice straw for a good harvest/that raise youContinueContinue reading “Feast your eyes on these Japanese New Year decorations”
Let’s go to the odd theme park that’s amazing in the most unexpected way
Tobu World Square in Nikko What if I told you that I’d visited a place in Japan that surprised me in a way that I never expected to be surprised? When I finally made it to this place in October, I expected the space-time continuum to be so warped that in a single day youContinueContinue reading “Let’s go to the odd theme park that’s amazing in the most unexpected way”
Tasty Ginger Pork
Serve the classic Japanese mom comfort food called niku-jaga (tender beef, potatoes and vegetables simmered in a savory sauce), then add instant curry to the leftovers the next night for Niku-jaga Curry Rice. This dish is fast, easy, and will make your kitchen smell delicious! Tasty Ginger Pork Serves 4Ingredients:12 oz. (340 g) pork loin or tenderloin2ContinueContinue reading “Tasty Ginger Pork”
Convenience Store Woman
by Sayaka Murata Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Represents real life in Japan: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: Well worth reading Convenience Store Woman is the story of middle-aged Keiko Furakura, who has worked in a convenience store all of her adult life, and finally dares to seek a futureContinueContinue reading “Convenience Store Woman”
Thousands of candle-lit igloos turn this village into a winter fairyland
Kamakura Festival in Yokote, Akita The Shiofune Kannon-ji grounds are HUGE. It’s like the Nezu Shrine on steroids. February’s destination is the castle town of Yokote, in the northiest north of Akita prefecture. For two days every year (February 15-16), the town’s children offer toasted rice cakes and sweet sake to visitors inside tiny traditionalContinueContinue reading “Thousands of candle-lit igloos turn this village into a winter fairyland”
Weird Chocolate
When Japan embraces Western holidays, things can go a bit…sideways. And the biggest example of Getting It Wrong is nearly upon us: Valentine’s Day.Why? Because only MEN get chocolate!* That’s right. For Japanese women, Valentine’s Day might as well be called Big Fat Obligation Day, because not only are they on the hook for gifting allContinueContinue reading “Weird Chocolate”
Why the most interesting food you’ll eat in Japan might be…spaghetti
I know. Nobody goes to Japan to eat spaghetti. It’s sushi that’s supposed to deliver the big revelations, right? The exotic fish. The squicky I-dare-you innards. The arcane serving rituals at a restaurant with no menu. But it’s eating spaghetti in Japan that will really make you think. Because although every “Italian” restaurant in Tokyo offers pastaContinueContinue reading “Why the most interesting food you’ll eat in Japan might be…spaghetti”
Spicy Japanese Eggplant
One day in Tokyo, I was at a lunch made by the women in this crazy Japanese women’s club I belong to, where each member had made one dish to contribute (and they all looked like they had been made by professional chefs and styled by photo stylists aieeee!) When I tasted the eggplant dish,ContinueContinue reading “Spicy Japanese Eggplant”
The Tattoo Murder Case
By Akimitsu Takagi Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: A real page-turner of a police procedural that also gives a glimpse into the postwar demimonde of the tattooed Why would someone kill a beautiful tattooed woman, and steal her inked torso? That puzzle is just theContinueContinue reading “The Tattoo Murder Case”
Let’s visit the perfect garden for how we’re feeling right now
Kairaku-en Plum Garden in Mito prefecture February is the best time to see Kairaku-en, because there’s a chance a late winter storm will deliver the amazing sight of spring’s first flowers peeking out from under a blanket of snow Like cherry blossoms, which are beloved because their brief but glorious life is the perfect metaphorContinueContinue reading “Let’s visit the perfect garden for how we’re feeling right now”
If you thought quilts were a Western art, think again!
The Tokyo International Quilt Festival Late summer means awaordori dance exhibitions, and this swirl of movement captures that festival atmosphere perfectly (“Dancing in the Wind” by Masako Sakagami) You know how Japan embraces stuff from all over the world, and then turns it uniquely Japanese? Every year at the end of January, Tokyo hosts oneContinueContinue reading “If you thought quilts were a Western art, think again!”
Pre-battered suitcases and other weird travel necessities
Japanese fears, explained by travel products I used to laugh at the sheer array of disinfectant travel wipes for sale at Tokyu Hands (for planes! for trains! for public bathrooms!) but in this day and age, those aren’t so funny anymore. But there are a few Japanese travel aids whose entertainment value never grows old…ContinueContinue reading “Pre-battered suitcases and other weird travel necessities”
Did you win the Nov-Dec book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of All She Was Worth by Miyuki Miyabe! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me if you’d like an ebook or paperback (and if paperback, let me know a mailing address you’d like it sent to) and I’ll getContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Nov-Dec book giveaway?”
FEBRUARY 2021
Click on photo or link to read the feature Beyond Tokyo: 40,000 dolls dressed in Imperial court robes? Yes, please! Every year, the town of Katsuura puts on a Girls’ Day Doll Festival to end all doll festivals. Nearly 40,000 magnificently attired hina-samasuddenly appear all over town, in displays that are truly jaw-dropping…read more • SeasonalContinueContinue reading “FEBRUARY 2021”
Be careful what you hang on your wall
…because it might turn out to be something you’d rather not explain to dinner guests! Let’s say you’re browsing around a flea market in Japan, and you discover this jolly woodblock print of five samurai-era men having a little chin-wag. Naturally, because it’s a flea market, you snag it at a bargain price! What aContinueContinue reading “Be careful what you hang on your wall”
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