Did you win a copy of The Samurai’s Octopus?

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 ofContinue reading "Did you win a copy of The Samurai’s Octopus?"

Answers to your burning Japan questions

Here are some deeper dives into why Japan is the way it is, and real world links to crazy facts from the Samurai's Octopus... • Why are tattoos still taboo in Japan?Spoiler: it's not because they think you're a gangster In feudal Japan (the samurai era, when The Samurai's Octopus takes place), the entire societyContinue reading "Answers to your burning Japan questions"

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 nobodyContinue 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 samuraiContinue 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 yourContinue 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 forContinue reading "What does a country without immigration look like?"

APR 2026

Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned TodayWhat are foreigners like? For three hundred years, Dutch traders were the only foreigners allowed in Japan, but they were confined to an island in Nagasaki. People were intensely curious about the exotic barbarians, though, so woodblock artists trekked across the DejimaContinue reading "APR 2026"

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 HadDo I haveContinue reading "FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed"

Did you win the March Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won your choice of one of these five novels featuring resourceful women in impossible situations! The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-RobinsonMatrix by Lauren GroffThe Miniaturist by Jessie BurtonThe Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'-'FarrellOnce Upon a River by Diane Setterfield If you think this is you, shootContinue reading "Did you win the March Book Giveaway?"

Taiko drums on every corner!

Let's go to the Narita taiko drum festival If you love the kind of Japanese drumming that's not just a lively musical entertainment, it's also an exuberant, precision-choreographed dance, get thee to the Narita Taiko Festival, which happens every April! While weaving their complex rhythms, taiko drummers exchange places, pivot to beat on each other'sContinue reading "Taiko drums on every corner!"

A quaint town with a pilgrimage-worthy temple and garden

Narita in Chiba Prefecture Narita has been cursed for so long as that so-called "Tokyo" airport that's a $200 cab ride from Tokyo, many people don't know that Narita is also the name of the nearest town, which is still quaintly Japanese, the home of a fabulous temple and garden, and host to the annualContinue reading "A quaint town with a pilgrimage-worthy temple and garden"

What are foreigners like?

In 1639, the shōgun decreed that all foreigners be kicked out of Japan (or done away with in more unsavory ways), and for nearly three hundred years, the only contact the people of Japan had with the rest of the world was through the Dutch traders who were allowed to bring in one shipload ofContinue reading "What are foreigners like?"

MAR 2026

Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned TodayInsane hairdos, weird eyebrows & black teeth An Edo Period oiran would only turn heads today because her chalk white face, black teeth, and eyebrows painted like tiny feathers halfway up her forehead would make passersby elbow each other with curiosity, not desire.Continue reading "MAR 2026"

Did you win the Mystery Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won the book of your choice from one of the nine authors featured in the February 2026 Japanagram!! If you recognize your email address in the photo at the top, choose any book written by:Deborah CrombieTerry ShamesKim HaysSusan SpannMark PryorLeslie BudewitzAllen EskensTimothy MillerPhil Rickman(It doesn't have toContinue reading "Did you win the Mystery Book Giveaway?"

Resourceful women in impossible situations

A chance to win one of these five fabulous historical novels! With the April pub date of The Samurai's Octopus drawing closer every day, I've been thinking a lot about other books featuring women who overcome their circumstances through their own wit and wiles. These women and girls all start out with the deck stackedContinue reading "Resourceful women in impossible situations"

If I were a thousand years old, I would not look this good

The Miharu-no-Takizakura weeping cherry tree, Fukushima Prefecture This tree is so famous, it has a name: Miharu-the-Waterfall-Cherry. There are bus tours from Tokyo that go to see it (and also stop at Hanamiyama Park, another fab cherry spot) several times a day during The Season. But why? I mean, it's just a pretty tree, right?Continue reading "If I were a thousand years old, I would not look this good"

Insane hairdos, weird eyebrows, and black teeth

The stranger-than-fiction beauty secrets of Japan's first-rank courtesans In 1790, geisha were still the mousy little entertainers who made music in the background while wealthy and powerful patrons waited impatiently for the main attraction, the first-rank courtesans known as oiran. There was nothing understated about these women who clawed their way to the top ofContinue reading "Insane hairdos, weird eyebrows, and black teeth"

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 Only in JapanMake blowing your nose scary again TellContinue reading "FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed"

Today’s Japan travel question: Can I wear shorts and tank tops in Japan?

I follow a lot of travel advice forums, and this question has been coming up a lot lately, as people make summer vacation plans. I'll be the first to tell you that if you plan to be in Japan anytime between May and October, it's going to be steamy. Not just hot, but humid inContinue reading "Today’s Japan travel question: Can I wear shorts and tank tops in Japan?"

FEB 2026

Click on photo or link to read the feature • The Thing I Learned TodayHow to outsmart the fashion police After the shōgun accidentally bowed to the wrong man because he mistook a lavishly dressed merchant for the local lord, he decreed that merchants were no longer allowed to flaunt the wealth they'd snaffled fromContinue reading "FEB 2026"

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 HadReal foodies skipContinue reading "FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed"

Did you win the Jan-Feb Book Giveaway?

If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Savory and Sweet Shrubs cookbook by Michael Dietsch! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and let me know if you'd like the Kindle version or the hardcover. If you'd like the Kindle version, let me know which email you'd likeContinue reading "Did you win the Jan-Feb Book Giveaway?"

A Mystery Read for Every Occasion

Nine of my favorite go-to authors who might not be on your radar In addition to sending you the Japanagram every month, I also write mystery novels, and because I've been wondering how to help readers discover my new book that's coming out in April, I've been thinking about what a delight it is whenContinue reading "A Mystery Read for Every Occasion"

Red Shrine + White Snow = Japan photo Gold

Hakusan Shrine in Niigata If you're lucky enough to be heading to Niigata for the skiing, don't forget to stop into the Hakusan Shrine if you'd like to harvest some Japan photo gold! A golden dragon and a snow-frosted hanachōzu water basin filled with flowers greets you as you stop to purify your hands beforeContinue reading "Red Shrine + White Snow = Japan photo Gold"

Exorcize your demons the time-honored Japanese way!

I don't know about you, but I name quite a few demons I'd like to chase out of my life right now. They bear only a passing resemblance to traditional Japanese oni... with their fearsome nail-studded bats, guarding the gates of Noboribetsu's volcanic "hell"... but even though the American variety are far more sinister, I'mContinue reading "Exorcize your demons the time-honored Japanese way!"

How to outsmart the fashion police

Photo thanks to Ametsuchi Collection After the shōgun accidentally bowed to the wrong man because he mistook a lavishly dressed merchant for the local lord, he decreed that merchants were no longer allowed to flaunt the wealth they'd snaffled from their betters. The merchants, of course, rose to this challenge with entertaining craftiness. If there's oneContinue reading "How to outsmart the fashion police"

JAN 2026

Click on photo or link to read the feature • Seasonal SecretJapan's best-kept travel secret: Go when it snows If your travel goal is to check off every Japanese destination people have tagged with 100,000+ hashtags on Instagram, by all means go during cherry blossom season. But if you're the kind of traveler who lovesContinue reading "JAN 2026"

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 HadHow to makeContinue reading "FOMO Links: Fun stuff you might have missed"

Savory and Sweet Shrubs

Tart Mixers for Delicious Cocktails and Mocktailsby Michael Dietsch Recipe Flavors: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Easy to make: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Uniqueness of recipes: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: These are the best non-alcoholic drink recipes I've ever tasted. Each one is a sophisticated blend of sweet, sour, bitter and spicy notes, just like modern bartender-crafted drinks. The recipes call for unique combinations of flavors,Continue reading "Savory and Sweet Shrubs"