Category Archives: May

MAY 2025

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal SecretWhat makes these crazy wisteria the most Japanese flower spectacle of all? It’s no secret that Japan produces some of the worlds’ most eyepopping flower extravaganzas—like, yeah, cherry blossom season—but there’s an especially Japanese kind of master gardening that you can only see duringContinueContinue reading “MAY 2025”

Links to fun stuff you might have missed

If you don’t subscribe to the latest posts on my travel site (Jonelle Patrick Writes About Japan) 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 JapanThe train station with a footContinueContinue reading “Links to fun stuff you might have missed”

Today’s Japan travel question: Is it OK to go in the onsen with tattoos if nobody sees me?

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: Is it OK to go in the onsen with tattoos if nobody sees me?”

Tasty Veggie Dipping Sauce

This nutty, creamy dipping sauce magically makes all vegetables delicious, but it’s especially great on bitter greens! The gorgeous veggie in the photo is one that just appeared in Japanese supermarkets. It’s called petit vert—a cross between kale and brussels sprouts—and it opens up like a tiny perfect cabbage when lightly boiled. But all kindContinueContinue reading “Tasty Veggie Dipping Sauce”

Food styling fails of Japan

You may recall me saying that the strangest food you might ever encounter in Japan is spaghetti, but even when they try to depict a menu offering that’s unapologetically “foreign,” sometimes the picture is a little…off. This luscious fruit tart, for example. Its job is to make you crave the juiciest peaches, the reddest strawberries,ContinueContinue reading “Food styling fails of Japan”

What makes these crazy wisteria the most Japanese flower spectacle of all?

Wisteria at Odawara Castle Park It’s no secret that Japan produces some of the worlds’ most eyepopping flower extravaganzas—like, yeah, cherry blossom season—but there’s an especially Japanese kind of master gardening that you can only see during wisteria season. What makes these wisteria so special? 1 Like bonsai, wisteria take years and years to reachContinueContinue reading “What makes these crazy wisteria the most Japanese flower spectacle of all?”

Did you win the Mar-Apr Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of How to Shop for Kimonos by Anji Salz! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me where to send it. (She publishes it as a PDF, so give me the email address you’d like her to send it to—youContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Mar-Apr Book Giveaway?”

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”

Failed rock gardens of Japan

Venerable Zen temple rock gardens are one of the iconic must-sees of Japan. No matter when you come, it’s always rock season, and they’re never, ever, covered in scaffolding. Plus, rock gardens look good even if you never weed, feed, or prune them. The most famous not-failed rock garden in Japan: Ryoanji in Kyoto. YouContinueContinue reading “Failed rock gardens of Japan”

How do they make all those mind-boggling Nuno textiles?

Reiko Sudo gives us the inside scoop on shrinking glue, disappearing paper & more! Reiko Sudo isn’t just one of the most innovative fabric designers in history, she’s a warm and delightful person whose enthusiasm for her art overflows to welcome anyone who loves textiles into her circle. It’s impossible to walk into the NunoContinueContinue reading “How do they make all those mind-boggling Nuno textiles?”

MAY-JUN 2023

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:It’s Fluttering Fish Flag Season! Few sights are more delightful than a school of fish flags fluttering against the spring sky. They only appear in the month before Children’s Day on May 5, so now is the time to seek out the biggest andContinueContinue reading “MAY-JUN 2023”

What the heckin’ heck is THIS?

The Japanese are the masters of the kind of weird inventions that make you burst out laughing…then you realize you need one. I love discovering these things, and I hope you’ll enjoy guessing what they’re used for too! Every month I’ll post a photo of something that I didn’t have any idea what it wasContinueContinue reading “What the heckin’ heck is THIS?”

Did you win the Mar-Apr Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Dead-End Memories by Banana Yoshimoto! 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 ebook or a mailingContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Mar-Apr Book Giveaway?”

Time travel to a samurai village, check out Westminster Abbey, then swoon over the most opulent golden shrine in Japan

Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture Nikko not only hosts my favorite must-see World Heritage Site in all of Japan, it’s home to two eye-popping theme parks—one that lets you wander around an authentically recreated samurai village dressed as the period character of your choice, and another that seems like it would be the acme of camp,ContinueContinue reading “Time travel to a samurai village, check out Westminster Abbey, then swoon over the most opulent golden shrine in Japan”

Japanese Chicken Sliders with a Tasty Trio of Toppings

These juicy chicken sliders with a hint of ginger can be topped with any combination of the toppings, depending on whether you’re in the mood for spicy, savory, creamy or tangy. There’s something for everyone, and the small size means you don’t have to decide which is your favorite until you’ve tried them all! •ContinueContinue reading “Japanese Chicken Sliders with a Tasty Trio of Toppings”

Look up! It’s koi nobori season!

In Japan ’tis the season to look to the sky for swimming fish! May 5th is the holiday formerly known as Boys’ Day, but now the charming flags called koi nobori fly for girls too. On Children’s Day, any child can be the carp that climbs the waterfall to become a dragon. Legend has itContinueContinue reading “Look up! It’s koi nobori season!”

Seven reasons not to fall in love with that $25,000 Japanese farmhouse

The New York Times is only the latest media outlet to jump on the “you can buy a fabulous farmhouse in Japan for cheap” bandwagon, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. To sum up this latest piece of clickbait, Japan’s famously shrinking population has left millions of vintage farmhouses sitting empty and unwanted,ContinueContinue reading “Seven reasons not to fall in love with that $25,000 Japanese farmhouse”

Japan Swag Giveaway

This set of threeSee-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil cats! In honor of our visit to the famous trio of monkeys at the Nikkō Toshogu Shrine this month, I’m giving away this limited edition set of three cats who will out-cute those monkeys in a heartbeat! On the last day of June, I’ll randomly pick one lucky JapanagramContinueContinue reading “Japan Swag Giveaway”

Did you win the Mar-Apr book giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of All I asking for is my body by Milton Murayama If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and give me a mailing address you’d like it sent to (this one is only available in paperback) and I’ll get it to youContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Mar-Apr book giveaway?”

A sea of purple, delighting the populace for hundreds of years

Famous iris gardens near Tokyo In every shade, from grape to periwinkle, a Japanese iris garden in bloom is a feast of purple (these are at Meigetsu-in temple, in Kamakura)  In the West, it’s rare to see more than a couple of delicate butterfly-like Japanese iris artfully ringing a pond at the local botanical garden,ContinueContinue reading “A sea of purple, delighting the populace for hundreds of years”

Mint-Cilantro Udon & Hamachi with Tomato-Ginger Sauce

Here are two recipes from this month’s book giveaway! Check back in July to see if you won this month’s drawing, but in the meantime please enjoy a delightful summertime supper of Japanese-flavored pesto noodles and seared fresh fish with a piquant tomato-ginger sauce, courtesy of chef and author Eric Gower. The recipes in thisContinueContinue reading “Mint-Cilantro Udon & Hamachi with Tomato-Ginger Sauce”

Why yes, that mold IS a National Living Treasure

Everything you ever wanted to know about making sake This is where the magic happens Japanese sake is surging in popularity as restaurants outside of Japan discover that it makes dishes from all over the world taste even better. My friend Mac—the Kanpai Planet YouTube channel host who delves into All Things Alcoholic in Japan—actuallyContinueContinue reading “Why yes, that mold IS a National Living Treasure”

The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen

The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen By Eric Gower Something different this month: a cookbook! Quality of recipes: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Japanese flavor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Ease of preparation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This cookbook is a great favorite of mine, because the flavors are Japanese-inspired but geared to a Western kitchen and what’s available in Western supermarkets. Everything is a surprise and a delightContinueContinue reading “The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen”

International Food Fails of Japan

How can they get it so wrong? In a country where only 24% of the population even have a passport (compared to 45% of Americans and 78% of Brits), the closest most Japanese have ever been to “foreign” food is the restaurant down the block. Not surprisingly, this black hole of experience plays out inContinueContinue reading “International Food Fails of Japan”

MAY-JUN 2021

Click on photo or link to read the feature Seasonal Secret: Seven things you didn’t know about Japanese weddings From fake priests to Barbie princess gowns, Japanese weddings are a whole different ballgame…read more • Beyond Tokyo: Come for the purple, stay for the lights The Ashikaga Flower Park not only boasts insanely huge wisteria,ContinueContinue reading “MAY-JUN 2021”

Klara and the Sun

By Kazuo Ishiguro Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: N/ATranslation quality: N/AEntertainment value: ⭐⭐My recommendation: I did not love this book, but every respected professional reviewer did, so you decide… This story takes place in a near-future dystopia, in which children’s intelligence must be genetically enhanced in order to succeed in society.ContinueContinue reading “Klara and the Sun”

Come for the purple, stay for the lights

Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi prefecture You may not think wisteria is as travel-worthy as cherry blossoms, but…need I say more? There’s only one reason to trek all the way out to Ashikaga at the beginning of May, and that’s to see the astoundingly huge wisteria at the Ashikaga Flower Park. But guess what? It’sContinueContinue reading “Come for the purple, stay for the lights”

Seven things you didn’t know about Japanese weddings

‘Tis the season to get hitched, but they do things a little differently in Japan. Here are seven things I bet you didn’t know about Japanese weddings. 1 You don’t have to be there to get married The only way to get legally married in Japan is to fill out and stamp the bride andContinueContinue reading “Seven things you didn’t know about Japanese weddings”

How to live forever, Japan style 

You know those “artist names” that get passed down from one generation to the next in Japan? I always assumed those were about art. That the passing of the torch from one generation to the next was about choosing the most gifted artist of the next generation to take their predecessor’s place at the topContinueContinue reading “How to live forever, Japan style “