Okay, obviously I can’t review my own book (ahaha that would be cheating!) but a few other people took a sneak peek at the advance review copy, and here’s what they had to say… “The Samurai’s Octopus…is a truly remarkable book, one that surprised and charmed me at every turn of the page. It’s one ofContinueContinue reading “Did you win a copy of The Samurai’s Octopus?”
Category Archives: Special Edition
FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed
If you don’t subscribe to my Japan travel site (The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had) 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 The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had14 events nobodyContinueContinue reading “FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed”
You won’t believe who I ran into in the Floating World!
Q: What do the world’s biggest baseball star… a world-class violinist… the cast and crew of a blockbuster streaming drama… and NHK news anchors… have in common with geisha… bar hostesses, and “wives for a night”? A: They’re all card-carrying members of the same floating world that Yoshiwara’s first-rank oirans ruled over in the samuraiContinueContinue reading “You won’t believe who I ran into in the Floating World!”
Let’s dress in samurai armor and swagger around a gorgeous castle…just for starters!
A fabulous day trip to Odawara You don’t have to spend big bucks and hours on the bullet train to see one of the top castles in Japan and learn what it was like to live like a samurai lord. Odawara is an easy day trip from Tokyo! But there’s more. If you play yourContinueContinue reading “Let’s dress in samurai armor and swagger around a gorgeous castle…just for starters!”
What does a country without immigration look like?
What’s it like to live in a country without immigration? Well…this. Looks nice, doesn’t it? The very picture of idyllic daily life that anti-immigrant folks imagine it would be. Japan’s refusal to welcome outsiders is no let’s-jump-on-the-bandwagon reaction to a worldwide hardening against immigration—they’re masters of the art, because they’ve been keeping foreigners out forContinueContinue reading “What does a country without immigration look like?”
SPECIAL EDITION
A special edition of Japanagram to celebrate the publication of The Last Tea Bowl Thief! Click on photo or link to read the feature Why, Japan, Why?: Why is it so much harder to get a Japanese boyfriend than a Japanese girlfriend? The American character in The Last Tea Bowl Thief has had a longer relationship withContinueContinue reading “SPECIAL EDITION”
The Last Tea Bowl Thief
By Jonelle Patrick It would obviously be a little weird for me to review my own book, so instead I’m going to point you over to Tokyo Authority, which beat the other reviews out of the gate because October 20th came a day earlier in Japan than in America! Click here to read what theyContinueContinue reading “The Last Tea Bowl Thief”
Book Giveaway SPECIAL EDITION
Did you win a signed copy of The Last Tea Bowl Thief? As a special surprise for Japanagram subscribers, I’m giving away five signed paperback copies of The Last Tea Bowl Thief! If you recognize your email address below, shoot me a message at JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com, with a mailing address and whose name you’d like meContinueContinue reading “Book Giveaway SPECIAL EDITION”
Sesame-Miso Hotpot
Serves 2* For the broth: 3 c. (700ml) dashi (Japanese smoked bonito soup stock, which can be made with boiling water and instant Hon-Dashi* granules) ¼ c. (32g) miso (I mix half white miso, half red miso) 2 T. (30ml) mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine for cooking) 1 T. (15ml) tahini or Japanese nerigoma (sesameContinueContinue reading “Sesame-Miso Hotpot”
The convent with a big secret
Special destination: Jakko-in convent, Kyoto I’ve seen my share of excellent healing Jizo figures, but this one was especially magnificent. There are five colored threads streaming down from its left hand to the mortals below, each symbolizing a gift that this Jizo can bestow on pilgrims. But that’s not the most amazing thing about it,ContinueContinue reading “The convent with a big secret“
Why is it harder to get a Japanese boyfriend than a Japanese girlfriend?
Dating in Japan: it’s complicated In The Last Tea Bowl Thief, Robin Swann has had a longer relationship with her goldfish than with any man since she arrived. Let’s look at the baffling question of why it’s so hard to get a Japanese boyfriend. One of the first things I noticed when I moved toContinueContinue reading “Why is it harder to get a Japanese boyfriend than a Japanese girlfriend?”
Japanagram 