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 societyContinueContinue reading “Answers to your burning Japan questions”
Tag Archives: Samurai’s Octopus Feature
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?”
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 ofContinueContinue reading “What are foreigners like?”
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 ofContinueContinue reading “Insane hairdos, weird eyebrows, and black teeth”
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 oneContinueContinue reading “How to outsmart the fashion police”
Superstitions you can use
Ensnare your crush, cure dread diseases, and avoid bad luck like a boss For over two hundred years, the courtesans of Yoshiwara were trapped within the moat and four stout walls of Edo’s pleasure quarter, so it’s no surprise they practiced many superstitions aimed at bringing about the lucky moment a rich man might noticeContinueContinue reading “Superstitions you can use”
Haunted Household Goods of Japan
You know how I was telling you why used cars, old houses and vintage kimonos are so cheap in Japan? That once something reaches the ripe old age of a hundred, it acquires a soul? Well, souls can hold a grudge. And become possessed by a thirst for revenge against its owner for any slightsContinueContinue reading “Haunted Household Goods of Japan”
Why do cars drive on the left in Japan?
If Japan had ever been part of the British Empire it would be obvious why they adopted the practice of driving on the left. But they’ve never been invaded or conquered by anyone, and the only country they’ve ever surrendered to—the United States—drives on the right. So…why? In a word, swords. Most samurai (like peopleContinueContinue reading “Why do cars drive on the left in Japan?”
Japanagram 