Nihon Minka-en Japanese Folk House Garden in Kanagawa prefecture There are twenty-three authentic structures in the park, each chosen to feature the clever ways that traditional architecture dealt with local climates and allowed their inhabitants to practice their local ways of life One of the most amazing things to see in Japan is buildings constructedContinueContinue reading “A whole park full of thatch-roofed farmhouses, just outside of central Tokyo”
Category Archives: 2020
How to read a haiku
Three great things to look for in a haiku poem I’m going to come right out and say it: nothing makes me want to throw my hands in the air and flee faster than coming across a page that’s filled with verses instead of nice, solid paragraphs. I automatically assume I’m not going to enjoyContinueContinue reading “How to read a haiku”
Goldfish, goldfish, everywhere
Edogawa Goldfish Festival The most delightful summer festival in all of Japan You might remember from a previous Japanagram that one traditional way of beating the Japanese summer heat is to gaze at goldfish swimming in their cool, watery world. Goldfish are so synonymous with summer in Japan that you’ll see them gracing everything fromContinueContinue reading “Goldfish, goldfish, everywhere”
The Pillow Book
The Diary of a Courtesan in Tenth Century Japan By Sei Shōnagon Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: N/ATranslation quality: N/AEntertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This shockingly witty little volume is evidence that just because someone lived a thousand years ago doesn’t mean they weren’t a sharp commentator on human behavior that’s stillContinueContinue reading “The Pillow Book”
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 “
Japanese Ginger-Soy Steak Sauce
‘Tis the season to dust off the BBQ and grill up some steaks, and the only thing that will make them taste even more sublime is this yum of a dipping sauce! In Japan, bite-sized slices of steak are grilled at the table, then dipped in this savory sauce that zings with just a hintContinueContinue reading “Japanese Ginger-Soy Steak Sauce”
Did you win the March-April book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Riku Onda’s The Aosawa Murders! 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’d like it sent to) and I’ll get it to youContinueContinue reading “Did you win the March-April book giveaway?”
MAR-APR 2021
Click on photo or link to read the feature Why, Japan, Why?: Japanese ceremonies we didn’t know we needed Everybody knows about Japan’s famous tea ceremony, and of course they also mark weddings, funerals and graduations with appropriate pomp, but the Japanese have ceremonies for all kinds of great things besides the biggies…read more • BeyondContinueContinue reading “MAR-APR 2021”
FEBRUARY 2021
Click on photo or link to read the feature Beyond Tokyo: 40,000 dolls dressed in Imperial court robes? Yes, please! Every year, the town of Katsuura puts on a Girls’ Day Doll Festival to end all doll festivals. Nearly 40,000 magnificently attired hina-samasuddenly appear all over town, in displays that are truly jaw-dropping…read more • SeasonalContinueContinue reading “FEBRUARY 2021”
JANUARY 2021
Click on photo or link to read the feature Seasonal Secret: The grand pooh-bah of Japanese flea markets This treasure trove of a flea market only happens twice a year, but what a goldmine it is! Where else might you find a set of antique lacquer ozonibowls, a disgruntled workman doll, a pre-dial-era telephone, and aContinueContinue reading “JANUARY 2021”
Beyond the cherry blossoms
Pink things that only appear during The Season Sure, the cherry trees are pretty in pink, but The Season offers far more delights (and horrors) than elbowing a million other flower fanatics out of the way for that perfect shot. For example… The sublime: Things lit up in pink at night These buildings deck themselvesContinueContinue reading “Beyond the cherry blossoms”
The cherry blossoms of your dreams…a month after all the rest are history
Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture See all the crowds? Me neither Cherry blossom season is legendary for good reason—even I have to admit that the pinkness in all its glory WILL take your breath away—but the downside of that is that everybody in the world knows it too. From the middle of March to theContinueContinue reading “The cherry blossoms of your dreams…a month after all the rest are history”
Be careful what you hang on your wall
…because it might turn out to be something you’d rather not explain to dinner guests! Let’s say you’re browsing around a flea market in Japan, and you discover this jolly woodblock print of five samurai-era men having a little chin-wag. Naturally, because it’s a flea market, you snag it at a bargain price! What aContinueContinue reading “Be careful what you hang on your wall”
The Aosawa Murders
By Riku Onda Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This book is one of those rare Japanese mysteries that don’t lose something essential in translation. It’s told in such a way that the reader collects each piece of the puzzle from characters who didn’t necessarily revealContinueContinue reading “The Aosawa Murders”
Japanese Treasure Rice
If you have a rice cooker, this is the easiest made-from-scratch meal ever. All you have to do is measure the dry rice into the cooker, then toss in the raw veggies and cooking broth (plus the raw marinated chicken pieces, if you want to make a meal of it). Turn it on, and theContinueContinue reading “Japanese Treasure Rice”
Japanese ceremonies we didn’t know we needed
In Japan, there are ceremonies for some very odd things Everybody knows about Japan’s famous tea ceremony, and of course they also mark weddings, funerals and graduations with ceremonies. But one of the most interesting discussions we’ve been having at book zooms about The Last Tea Bowl Thief is about how the Japanese have ceremoniesContinueContinue reading “Japanese ceremonies we didn’t know we needed”
Did you win the February book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Jake Adelstein’s Tokyo Vice! 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’d like it sent to) and I’ll get it to youContinueContinue reading “Did you win the February book giveaway?”
Did you win the MAR-APR Book Zoom giveaway?
Win a book zoom for you and your friends, hosted by author Jonelle Patrick For the next few months, I’ll be giving away a fully hosted The Last Tea Bowl Thief Book Zoom to one lucky Japanagram subscriber every month! If you enjoyed The Last Tea Bowl Thief and have a few friends who mightContinueContinue reading “Did you win the MAR-APR Book Zoom giveaway?”
Did you win the January book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Natsuo Kirino’s OUT! 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’d like it sent to) and I’ll get it to you soonest. IfContinueContinue reading “Did you win the January book giveaway?”
The fabulous flower season that happens when nothing else is blooming
February in Japan is not fun. Cold and gray, its only festival involves demons, dry beans and smelly sardines. There would pretty much be nothing to look forward to, if it weren’t for the… Plum blossoms! And although their blooming doesn’t promise no more snow, plum trees bloom while every other flower and leaf isContinueContinue reading “The fabulous flower season that happens when nothing else is blooming”
Tokyo Vice
By Jake Adelstein Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: N/AEntertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: Investigative reporter Jake Adelstein covered the yakuza beat for a Japanese newspaper like a boss, and his first person account will make your hair stand on end. This first-person account of how an American investigative journalist cultivatedContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Vice“
The strange barbers of Yoshiwara
You’ve heard of Yoshiwara, right? The old Tokyo pleasure quarter? Well, it turns out that it wasn’t just any old red light district—it was its own separate, weird society, with different laws, different social rules, and even its own language. The reigning queens of this alternate universe were the oiran—courtesans who were so exclusive thatContinueContinue reading “The strange barbers of Yoshiwara”
Japanese Chicken Soup for the Soul
When it’s cold and wet and dark outside, people in Japan long for comfort food just as much as we do, and this chicken soup will warm you right down to your toes. It’s comforting, but a little bit different, all at the same time. Serves: 4-6 12 oz. (340g) marinated chicken pieces (recipe below)ContinueContinue reading “Japanese Chicken Soup for the Soul”
40,000 dolls dressed in Imperial court robes? Yes, please!
Katsuura Doll Festival in Katsuura, Chiba Every year, the town of Katsuura puts on a Girls’ Day Doll Festival to end all doll festivals. Nearly 40,000 magnificently attired hina-sama suddenly appear all over town, in displays that are truly jaw-dropping. Just for comparison, here’s a typical Girls’ Day set, displayed on the traditional red steps.ContinueContinue reading “40,000 dolls dressed in Imperial court robes? Yes, please!”
DECEMBER 2020
Click on photo or link to read the feature Seasonal Secret: The Japanese art of gift giving If there were medals for gifting, the Japanese would own the gold and the Guinness record for owning the gold…read more • Beyond Tokyo: Millions of twinkling fairy lights, dancing fountain extravaganzas, and glowing cotton candy, all served up onContinueContinue reading “DECEMBER 2020”
Did you win the December book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Martin Cruz Smith’s December 6! 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’d like it sent to) and I’ll get it to youContinueContinue reading “Did you win the December book giveaway?”
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