Category Archives: 2020

“Mundane Halloween” costumes I wish I’d thought of

Japan may be the over-the-top costuming mecca of the world, but it’s also the home of Halloween’s most hilarious dress-up trend: Mundane Halloween. These revelers capture ordinary people doing ordinary things who are as nevertheless as recognizable as Godzilla, but twice as funny. Here are some of my all-time favorites, most from the annual “MundaneContinueContinue reading ““Mundane Halloween” costumes I wish I’d thought of”

A real-life vine bridge and other undiscovered Shikoku delights!

Exploring Shikoku beyond the art islands and the temples Most visitors only visit the Japanese island of Shikoku to trek around the famous 88-temple pilgrimage or ogle the art on the island of Naoshima… but Shikoku delivers so many great experiences you can’t have anywhere else. Like…the Kazurabashi Vine Bridge! Forty-five meters long and twoContinueContinue reading “A real-life vine bridge and other undiscovered Shikoku delights!”

SEP 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Green and Serene: Design secrets of Japanese gardens If there’s one thing we need right now in this brutally continuing summer, it’s a stroll in a Japanese garden. But how can they be such an oasis of cool and calm in the midst ofContinueContinue reading “SEP 2024”

Japanese Chilled Summer Noodles

Sōmen for the win! Cold sōmen noodles are as much a tradition in Japan’s summertime as potato salad and corn on the cob are in the US. These deliciously thin noodles are served cold, with a satisfyingly salty dipping sauce and an assortment of all your favorite Japanese tastes! They’re also the most entertaining noodlesContinueContinue reading “Japanese Chilled Summer Noodles”

Green and serene: The gardens you need right now

The Japanese garden at Shinjuku Gyōen in Tokyo never disappoints If there’s one thing Japanese gardens are the total boss of, it’s being green and serene. They’re stunning in every season, even without a single flower. They’re highly designed, but feel completely natural; miniature worlds where every tree and bush is ideally shaped, and everyContinueContinue reading “Green and serene: The gardens you need right now”

Did you win the Jul-Aug Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Emissary by Yoko Tawada! 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 Jul-Aug Book Giveaway?”

Inexplicable Animal Toys of Japan

Every time I’m browsing the toy floor of the big Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara, I’m stopped in my tracks by the plastic animal display. Can you imagine some small Japanese child begging their parental unit for…the prehistoric stuff of nightmares? Or a squeamishly realistic octopus? Japanese children must have way more imagination than I did,ContinueContinue reading “Inexplicable Animal Toys of Japan”

Perfect Day in Tokyo #7

Like all good travelers, you arrive in Japan clutching your must-see list, but one of the best things about Tokyo is the great experiences you can have just roaming around. The neighborhoods around the star attractions often deliver delights that are just as memorable as the thing that brought you there. Here are the otherContinueContinue reading “Perfect Day in Tokyo #7”

AUG 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal Secret:Japanese glass bells: the sweet sound of summer The sweet chimes of fūrin bells aren’t just a pretty summer soundtrack! In the dark days before AC was invented, they were one of the major weapons against the relentlessly hot and steamy Japanese summertime…read more • Why,ContinueContinue reading “AUG 2024”

The Emissary

By Yoko Tawada Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This winner of the National Book Award for translated literature is not only one of the best books by a Japanese author I’ve ever read—and the most stunningly excellent literary translation I’ve ever read—it’s one of theContinueContinue reading “The Emissary”

Japanese glass bells: The sweet sound of summer

The sweet chimes of fūrin bells aren’t just a pretty summer soundtrack! In the dark days before AC was invented, they were one of the major weapons against the relentlessly hot and steamy Japanese summertime. Everything about them exudes coolness, from the clear airiness of the glass bell… to their cheery seasonal motifs, recalling warmContinueContinue reading “Japanese glass bells: The sweet sound of summer”

Snacks with tentacles

Admit it: you can’t wait to dare your travel companions to nom down on some fine squid-on-a-stick when you stroll past the food stands at your next Japanese festival. But did you know they can’t weasel out of it by refusing to travel during the summer matsuri season? Just walk into any convenience store and toss oneContinueContinue reading “Snacks with tentacles”

Did you win the May-Jun Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Kamogawa Food Detectives! 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’t pullContinueContinue reading “Did you win the May-Jun Book Giveaway?”

The weird things you can buy in Japanese vending machines

One thing you can always count on is that the moment you set foot on Japanese soil, vending machines will be waiting to greet you, and the beverage of your dreams is but a few coins away. The mix of hot and cold offerings waxes and wanes with the seasons, along with the seasonal fruitContinueContinue reading “The weird things you can buy in Japanese vending machines”

J-Style Poke Bowl

A cool & satisfying summer meal you can make in minutes! When Japanese laborers arrived in Hawaii to work the cane fields a century ago, they brought chirashi sushi with them—a simple meal of rice topped with fresh-caught fish that was the ideal no-cook meal for a tropical climate. Over time, it evolved into theContinueContinue reading “J-Style Poke Bowl”

Let’s go see where that fabulous Meisen kimono silk comes from!

Chichibu Meisen-kan in Saitama Prefecture It’s no secret I’m a major fangirl when it comes to Jazz Age kimonos, and if you’ve been following Only In Japan, you’ll remember that fabulous exhibit at the Yayoi-Yumeji Museum that showcased Meisen silk kimonos with patterns influenced by modern art… kitchy Western motifs… and the sheer graphic exuberanceContinueContinue reading “Let’s go see where that fabulous Meisen kimono silk comes from!”

JUN 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned Today:The Mingei Movement celebrates the high art of ordinary things in all new ways From brooms to lamps to dishware, what makes Mingei art so different from all others is that every piece is useful—not merely decorative—and is made by ordinaryContinueContinue reading “JUN 2024”

The Kamogawa Food Detectives

By Hisashi Kashiwai If you loved Midnight Diner, you’ll like this book. Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: If you loved Midnight Diner as much as I did, this book is for you. By recreating special dishes remembered by his customers, a retired police detective andContinueContinue reading “The Kamogawa Food Detectives”

The Mingei Movement celebrates the high art of ordinary things

Discovering the sublime in objects that areordinary,useful,imperfect,become more beautiful when well-used,andare made by anonymous artists The first display at the Setagaya Art Museum’s “Mingei: The Beauty of Everyday Things” recreates the inaugural exhibit at the Mingeikan Folk Crafts Museum, and features some of the pieces from Soetsu Yanagi’s seminal collection that inspired the Mingei Movement.ContinueContinue reading “The Mingei Movement celebrates the high art of ordinary things”

Let’s climb a thousand stone steps to Japan’s famous Mountain Temple!

Yamadera in Yamagata Prefecture The hydrangeas are in bloom and it’s the perfect time of year to climb those thousand steps to Yamadera (literally “mountain temple”), a famed pilgrimage spot since the year 860. The view that will reward us after climbing the thousand stone steps to the top is pretty spectacular… …but it’s theContinueContinue reading “Let’s climb a thousand stone steps to Japan’s famous Mountain Temple!”

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?”

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?”

APR 2024

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Beyond Tokyo:Let’s stay in a traditional Japanese farmhouse in the countryside! Rural farm life is alive and well in the beautiful Japanese countryside, and if you’ve ever dreamed of staying in one of those curvy-beamed, straw-plastered, traditional farmhouses, well, now you can!…read more • Why,ContinueContinue reading “APR 2024”

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

By Toshikazu Kawaguchi Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: The idea behind these charming connected short stories is a clever one, each one playing out in a way that is uniquely Japanese. The reasons each of these characters longs to go back and relive a momentContinueContinue reading “Before the Coffee Gets Cold”

Why do so many top Japanese restaurants refuse Michelin stars?

If you were as riveted by “The Bear” as I was, you have an idea what a restaurant is willing to go through for even a single shiny star. When the Michelin Guide came to Tokyo for the first time in 2008, they planned to honor a number of restaurants with multiple star ratings, soContinueContinue reading “Why do so many top Japanese restaurants refuse Michelin stars?”

Let’s stay in a traditional farmhouse in the Japanese countryside!

Yokomura Eco-Lodge in Yamanashi Prefecture Japan isn’t all neon lights, tea ceremonies and vending machines—rural farm life is alive and well in the beautiful Japanese countryside, and if you’ve ever dreamed of staying in one of those curvy-beamed, straw-plastered, traditional farmhouses, well, now you can! Yokomura Eco-Lodge was restored by the owners of Kasamatsu FarmsContinueContinue reading “Let’s stay in a traditional farmhouse in the Japanese countryside!”