Dormant Last read · last published · next check
Read 6 days ago and current, but nothing has been published for 9 years.
Hello from West Shinjuku! As seen (from left to right) in the above image, it’s home to the luxurious Tokyo Park Hyatt of Lost in Translation fame, the DoCoMo Tower (the Empire State Building’s vaguely sinister twin), and the Tokyo Metropolitan... Continue Reading →
According to one of my favorite Guitar Hero songs, school’s out for the summer! Time to cool off with some watermelon, mint ice cream, and sōmen. But if you feel like those summer foods are so 2016, you’re in luck!... Continue Reading →
From early June to mid-July, Tokyo is in the throes of Japan’s secret 5th season: Tsuyu (梅雨) or Plum Rain. Luckily, the rain drops are not plum-sized, but rather, the rainy weather coincides with the ripening of said delicious fruit.... Continue Reading →
Inspiration can strike in the oddest places. More specifically, somewhere between Jūjō and Itabashi on the Saikyo Line. My muse? A fellow backpack pin devotee. As opposed to my collection of art, travel, and cartoon pins (ethically sourced from Hot Topic),... Continue Reading →
I know what you must be thinking. I’ve gotten lazy and reused an image from this past summer’s Suika and Sōmen post. And you’d be right! (Not about the lazy part). Originally, I used Hokusai’s 1830 woodblock print of Okiku (お菊) to illustrate... Continue Reading →
This past Sunday, I watched the 41st annual One-Day Sumo Tournament at Tokyo’s Sumo Hall, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan (両国国技館). A single knock out style competition with 32 wrestlers, the basho (場所, tournament) was a cross between a honbasho, a high-stakes, fifteen day long tournament... Continue Reading →
In the glory years of the mid 1990s, five British pop stars spiced up our lives. Their unique blend of Scary, Baby, Sporty, Ginger, and Posh refreshed our musical palates and introduced us to the bold world of Union Jack... Continue Reading →
It all started at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater in Hanoi. Glancing at my program, I saw that the one hour performance was split into about fifteen smaller sketches. Some vignettes focused on daily life in Vietnamese farming communities (rice planting,... Continue Reading →
Labor Day weekend is upon us, or if you are in Japan, just a normal weekend is upon us! A time to kick back, avoid Hurricane Hermine, and enjoy a good drink. Maybe you’re one to over-complicate your cocktail hour... Continue Reading →
Ah, Summer! As school hallways grow quieter and the cicadas buzz louder, now is the time to reflect on a selection of Japan’s summer traditions. Many of them are indistinguishable from American past-times: BBQs, beach trips, and fireworks, to name... Continue Reading →
