Sado Island in Niigata prefecture Sado is everything a remote island should be—plummeting cliffs surrounded by crystal clear water—but you can also do some things here that you can’t do in any other part of Japan These days, Sado Island is an hour offshore by hydrofoil, but in olden times it would take a lotContinueContinue reading “A rugged paradise with famous drummers, bathtub boats, and a cave of spooky Jizo figures”
Category Archives: October
A parade of people dressed up as angry ghost cats? Yes, please!
Bakeneko Parade in Kagurazaka, Tokyo And this one is my all-time favorite—she was wearing an excellent traditional-style mask, but totally dressed in goth-princess style kimono, with all the bells and whistles Japan is host to the most delightful festivals ever, and even the supernaturally scary bakeneko have their day! This isn’t an official holiday—you won’tContinueContinue reading “A parade of people dressed up as angry ghost cats? Yes, please!”
Pachinko
By Min Jin Lee Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: N/AEntertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This multi-generation story about what it’s like to be a Korean living in Japan from the early 1900s until the new millennium is heartwarmingly painful, beautifully written, and quite an accurate window into what it’s likeContinueContinue reading “Pachinko”
OCTOBER 2020
Click on photo or link to read the feature Why, Japan, Why?: Tiny pants, the garbage police, and the more friends you have, the lonelier you might be There are some things that nobody who moves to Japan wants to learn. But sometimes it’s these unwelcome lessons that unlock all kinds of other mysteries…read more •ContinueContinue reading “OCTOBER 2020”
The Ninth Attachment Cocktail/Mocktail
I hope you’ll laugh when you start reading The Last Tea Bowl Thief and understand what the name means! These cocktails/mocktails are built around a surprise ingredient. It’s a traditional Japanese taste that’s becoming all the rage at modern Tokyo bars: fruit-infused vinegar. These apple-ginger sours are sophisticated and satisfying, with or without the alcohol.ContinueContinue reading “The Ninth Attachment Cocktail/Mocktail”
The Tale of Murasaki
By Liza Dalby Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: N/AEntertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: If you love historical novels, this beautifully imagined tale really brings 11th century Japanese court intrigues to life You probably recognize Liza Dalby as the author of Geisha and Kimono, the highly acclaimed books that came outContinueContinue reading “The Tale of Murasaki”
Unexpected drawbacks of being a foreigner in Japan
Tiny pants, the garbage police, and the more friends you have, the lonelier you might be There are some things that nobody who moves to Japan wants to learn. But sometimes it’s these unwelcome lessons that unlock all kinds of other mysteries… Is it me, or are these pants just laughably small? The first time IContinueContinue reading “Unexpected drawbacks of being a foreigner in Japan”
Holy log-riding, the accidental castle, and a fire-breathing stone dragon
This month’s destination: Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture The reason I’m taking us on a virtual visit to Suwa City this time of year is because autumn really begins to blaze in Nagano Prefecture during the month of October, much earlier than it does in Tokyo Suwa City? Who ever heard of Suwa City? That doesn’tContinueContinue reading “Holy log-riding, the accidental castle, and a fire-breathing stone dragon“
The ten winners of August’s “It Was You” Giveaway are…
If you recognize your email, congratulations! If one of these is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me where to send it (and what name you’d like me to inscribe it to, if you’d like more than just a signature), and I’ll get it to you soonest. And by the way, a few of lastContinueContinue reading “The ten winners of August’s “It Was You” Giveaway are…”
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