SEP-OCT 2022

Click on photo or link to read the feature • First of all…say hello to an all-new Japanagram feature! Instead of a book giveaway this month, I’m delving into my personal treasure trove of Japanese collectables for the… Japan Swag Giveaway From hilarious limited edition capsule toys to Japanese new year’s ornaments, each month oneContinue reading “SEP-OCT 2022”

Did you win the Jul-Aug book giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight by Riku Onda If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me if you’d like to read it in ebook or paperback. (If you’d like a paperback, I’ll also need the mailing address you’d likeContinue reading “Did you win the Jul-Aug book giveaway?”

Japan Swag Giveaway

Say hello to an all-new Japanagram feature—the Japan Swag Giveaway! From hilarious capsule toys to New Year’s decorations, I’ve collected a vast trove of treasures you can’t buy outside Japan, and instead of giving away a book this month, I’ve decided it’s time to share the wealth. The Sep-Oct 2022 giveaway: Attack Cats! Once youContinue reading “Japan Swag Giveaway”

Let’s watch an epic pagoda parade…at night

Oeshiki ikegami at Ikegami Hongan-ji temple What better way to spend a fine fall evening than watching scores of five-tier pagodas parade down the street, all lit up and festooned with garlands of paper flowers? For over seven hundred years, the festival of 10,000 lanterns known as oeshiki ikegami has been happening every October atContinue reading “Let’s watch an epic pagoda parade…at night”

Haiku that capture the small embarrassments and ironies of modern life

Yamada Zenjido (known on Twitter and Instagram as y_haiku) is a Japanese artist who pens haiku-like truisms paired with pitch-perfect drawings, and they are hella funny…if you read Japanese. A few translations, to brighten your day… • Elderly uncle buying sake.Do I really have toCheck his ID? • Why does the dirty rice cooker alwaysContinue reading “Haiku that capture the small embarrassments and ironies of modern life”

Nutty Noodles

These savory noodles are deeply satisfying, even though they are made from only five ingredients. Walnuts give them a deep autumnal flavor that feels just right for the season, and although they’re a very traditional Japanese dish, everybody loves them. Best eaten at room temperature, they perfectly bridge the gap from summer into fall. •Continue reading “Nutty Noodles”

What’s the most Japanese thing you could ever do? Go on a bus tour

I thought going to the holiest shrine in all Japan would be the most ur-cultural experience I could possibly have. I was wrong. It was the bus tour that really redefined “cultural experience,” but not quite in the way I was expecting. Right now, the only way travelers can come to Japan is if they’reContinue reading “What’s the most Japanese thing you could ever do? Go on a bus tour”

SEP-OCT 2021

Click on photo or link to read the feature Japanese Home Cooking: How to host a great sake tasting Sake isn’t just for Japanese food anymore—restaurants all over the world are discovering it’s the perfect pairing for all kinds of food. But how do you know what kind of sake you like? Here’s everything you needContinue reading “SEP-OCT 2021”

Did you win the July-August book giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Pillow Book: Diary of a Courtesan in Tenth Century Japan by Sei Shōnagon! 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’dContinue reading “Did you win the July-August book giveaway?”

The REAL story of the 47 rōnin

…is so much crazier than I thought You can see why the tale of the forty-seven masterless samurai who avenge their lord appeals—righteous grudges, extreme consequences, clever & twisted revenge. It’s definitely got the makings of a killer Netflix series! But the most amazing thing is…it’s all true. But the deeper you dive, the betterContinue reading “The REAL story of the 47 rōnin”