Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned TodayInsane hairdos, weird eyebrows & black teeth An Edo Period oiran would only turn heads today because her chalk white face, black teeth, and eyebrows painted like tiny feathers halfway up her forehead would make passersby elbow each other with curiosity, not desire.ContinueContinue reading “MAR 2026”
Category Archives: March
Did you win the Mystery Book Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won the book of your choice from one of the nine authors featured in the February 2026 Japanagram!! If you recognize your email address in the photo at the top, choose any book written by:Deborah CrombieTerry ShamesKim HaysSusan SpannMark PryorLeslie BudewitzAllen EskensTimothy MillerPhil Rickman(It doesn’t have toContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Mystery Book Giveaway?”
Resourceful women in impossible situations
A chance to win one of these five fabulous historical novels! With the April pub date of The Samurai’s Octopus drawing closer every day, I’ve been thinking a lot about other books featuring women who overcome their circumstances through their own wit and wiles. These women and girls all start out with the deck stackedContinueContinue reading “Resourceful women in impossible situations”
If I were a thousand years old, I would not look this good
The Miharu-no-Takizakura weeping cherry tree, Fukushima Prefecture This tree is so famous, it has a name: Miharu-the-Waterfall-Cherry. There are bus tours from Tokyo that go to see it (and also stop at Hanamiyama Park, another fab cherry spot) several times a day during The Season. But why? I mean, it’s just a pretty tree, right?ContinueContinue reading “If I were a thousand years old, I would not look this good”
Insane hairdos, weird eyebrows, and black teeth
The stranger-than-fiction beauty secrets of Japan’s first-rank courtesans In 1790, geisha were still the mousy little entertainers who made music in the background while wealthy and powerful patrons waited impatiently for the main attraction, the first-rank courtesans known as oiran. There was nothing understated about these women who clawed their way to the top ofContinueContinue reading “Insane hairdos, weird eyebrows, and black teeth”
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 JapanMake blowing your nose scary again TellContinueContinue reading “FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed”
Today’s Japan travel question: Can I wear shorts and tank tops in Japan?
I follow a lot of travel advice forums, and this question has been coming up a lot lately, as people make summer vacation plans. I’ll be the first to tell you that if you plan to be in Japan anytime between May and October, it’s going to be steamy. Not just hot, but humid inContinueContinue reading “Today’s Japan travel question: Can I wear shorts and tank tops in Japan?”
Today’s Japan travel question: Can I wear shorts and tank tops in Japan?
I follow a lot of travel advice forums, and there’s one question that comes up again and again: How can someone with tattoos enjoy the iconic Japanese baths (and gyms and beaches and water parks) in a country that bans people with ink from using them? And don’t stop reading if your skin is aContinueContinue reading “Today’s Japan travel question: Can I wear shorts and tank tops in Japan?”
MAR 2025
Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Better cherry blossoms through science! Nothing makes people more anxious than trying to guess the perfect time to go see cherry blossoms at their peak. But Japan has a fix for that! Projection mapping technology has been harnessed to turn it into an experienceContinueContinue reading “MAR 2025”
Super-Easy Salmon Ginger Rice
Need a dinner that cooks itself into the coziest, most satisfying, winter meal ever? Salmon-Ginger Rice! Meshi are traditional Japanese one-pot dishes that magically meld meat and vegetables with rice into a savory symphony. And if you own a rice cooker,* it all happens at the touch of a button. *If you don’t own aContinueContinue reading “Super-Easy Salmon Ginger Rice”
Better cherry blossoms through science!
Nothing makes people more anxious than trying to guess the perfect time to go see cherry blossoms at their peak. But Japan has a fix for that! Projection mapping technology has been harnessed to turn it into an experience you truly can’t have anywhere else in the world. You can still enjoy the blooms theContinueContinue reading “Better cherry blossoms through science!”
How a trip fail helped me recapture the joy of traveling
I sat down to tell you all about the extraordinary rock gardens I saw in Kyoto last weekend, but it wasn’t long before I realized that what made them extra-special was…they’re not what I went there to see. I’d beavered around looking up exactly when my friend took a memorable photo of the plum treesContinueContinue reading “How a trip fail helped me recapture the joy of traveling”
Did you win the Mar-Apr Book Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold! 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 Mar-Apr Book Giveaway?”
MAR 2024
Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Let’s hike through the heirloom cherry blossom preserve! The best kept cherry blossom secret in Tokyo is a fabulous preserve where seventy-two types of heirloom cherry trees grow wild. Unlike the crowded beauty spots in the city, you can walk for miles without encounteringContinueContinue reading “MAR 2024”
She’s So Cosmo Cocktail/Mocktail
Red Shiso Cosmopolitan Cocktail, with or without a kick! Whether you’re flinging caution to the wind or keeping dry, give your favorite classic cocktail a distinctly Japanese kick with the taste of tart and tangy red shiso instead of cranberry! She’s So Cosmo Cocktail Makes 1 drink 1 shot vodka 1 shot Grand Marnier 1ContinueContinue reading “She’s So Cosmo Cocktail/Mocktail”
Let’s hike through the heirloom cherry tree preserve!
The Tama Forest Science Garden is the best kept cherry blossom secret in Tokyo—it’s a fabulous preserve where seventy-two types of heirloom cherry trees grow wild. And unlike the crowded beauty spots in the city, you can walk for miles without encountering another soul! This horticulture park was established to preserve and research ancient varietalsContinueContinue reading “Let’s hike through the heirloom cherry tree preserve!”
How to plan the best Japan trip EVER
Japan is the hottest travel ticket in the world right now. Here are my personal Japan travel tips & tricks, the places I take my friends when they come to town, and the inside scoop on what once-a-year festivals and events might be happening while you’re there! If you know someone who’s planning a JapanContinueContinue reading “How to plan the best Japan trip EVER”
Did you win the Jan-Feb Book Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Make It Japanese! 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 hardcover). If I didn’t pull yourContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Jan-Feb Book Giveaway?”
MAR-APR 2023
Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret: Hacking cherry blossom season: How to beat peak pricing and crowds, while still enjoying maximum pinkness You go to Japan for cherry blossom season expecting it’ll be all picnics under the spreading boughs of pinkness, but even if you manage to book ticketsContinueContinue reading “MAR-APR 2023”
Dead-End Memories
By Banana Yoshimoto Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: Although Japanese fiction nearly always loses a lot in translation, this collection of short stories still manages to feature characters and situations that are strangely Japanese, yet truly universal at the same time. If you’ve heard meContinueContinue reading “Dead-End Memories”
Did you win the Jan-Feb Book Giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka! 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 where you’d like me to send it. (I’ll need an email address for the ebookContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Jan-Feb Book Giveaway?”
Spring Vegetable Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing
Dress up a bouquet of colorful spring vegetables in this decadently creamy dressing that’s made without cream! The surprise ingredient is silken tofu, so not only will your loved ones be begging for second helpings of vegetables, they’ll get all the enjoyment of cream without the dairy. • Spring Vegetable Salad with Creamy Sesame DressingContinueContinue reading “Spring Vegetable Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing”
Let’s hike through the cherry blossom forest!
Hanamiyama Park in Fukushima Let’s escape the elbowing cameramen, blossom-hogging selfie-snappers and crowded parks of Tokyo and head up to Tohoku, where kilometers upon kilometers of wild cherry blossoms line the hiking trails at Hanamiyama. “Cherry Blossom Mountain” is a vast private park planted with so many flowering trees that every vista is painted inContinueContinue reading “Let’s hike through the cherry blossom forest!”
Hacking cherry blossom season
How to beat peak pricing and crowds, while still enjoying maximum pinkness! You go to Japan for cherry blossom season expecting it’ll be like this: But if you come during peak season, you’re more likely to get this: And trip dates are becoming harder to guess. Thanks to global warming, the sure bet of “last-few-days-of-March-through-the-first-few-days-of-April”ContinueContinue reading “Hacking cherry blossom season”
If we’re going to give up cars, we’re going to need more hand towels
Five unexpected things that explain why 21 million Tokyo dwellers choose the train every day, instead of their cars If you want to convince everyone to use public transportation—rich, poor, young, old—it goes without saying that it needs to be faster, cheaper, more convenient and more reliable than using a car. And it’s not wrongContinueContinue reading “If we’re going to give up cars, we’re going to need more hand towels”
Ghosts of the Tsunami
by Richard Lloyd Perry Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: N/ARepresents real life in Japan: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: Full of fascinating details and well worth reading Ghosts of the Tsunami is a page-turningly readable piece of narrative non-fiction, written by the Asia Editor of The Times of London. And while it centersContinueContinue reading “Ghosts of the Tsunami”
Get the best cherry blossom pix in Tokyo: Where, when & how
Whether you’re an Instagrammer with a mega-following or just want to capture some of the pink magic to show your besties back home, snapping some envy-inducing photos is on every cherry blossom to-do list. But getting those perfect shots isn’t easy, especially if it’s your first time in Tokyo, so here’s how & where toContinueContinue reading “Get the best cherry blossom pix in Tokyo: Where, when & how”
Let’s walk across red-hot burning coals!
Hiwatari Matsuri at Mt. Takao Who can resist the opportunity to do a bit of firewalking? Once a year, they actually let you join in, at the Hiwatari Matsuri, just an hour outside of Shinjuku Station at Mt. Takao. Get there early, because the festivities start with a grand parade of ascetic mountain monks from all overContinueContinue reading “Let’s walk across red-hot burning coals!”
Savory Japanese Beef & Vegetables/Curry Rice
This month’s recipe delivers a leftovers transformation that might be even better than the first night! 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. Savory Beef & Vegetable Simmer Makes 4 servingsContinueContinue reading “Savory Japanese Beef & Vegetables/Curry Rice”
How can Oreos be more Japanese than sumo wrestlers?
In last month’s Japanagram, we talked about turning foreign things Japanese, but I bet you never thought that the most extreme example of that might be…sumo. Foreigners have dominated this most sacred of Japanese sports since 1990. This photo, for example, is Asashoryu, the Mongolian who introduced revolutionary – and, for a while, unstoppable – techniques based onContinueContinue reading “How can Oreos be more Japanese than sumo wrestlers?”
Japanagram 