Sometimes it’s my birthday. This year, though I’d rather have lost a year and gone back to 21, I turned 23. Mom came to visit me in Tokyo, and we…
Harvesting Puppets and Liquor
When you think of Japan, agriculture might not be the first word that comes to mind. Considering the digital reach of Sony and Nintendo, or the global presence of Toyota,…
Frost might Crack the Trees and Split Rocks
It is undeniable that Japan has recently grown into a global tourism superstar. The numbers look tremendous on paper: arrivals increasing year after year, bringing money and energy into the…
The Japanese like strange things
What do you think this post will be about? Maybe you’re well read on cuisine and are thinking about the crime that is natto; sticky, slimy, and stinky. Or perhaps…
The Lost Province
It promised to rain South of Tokyo, for days on end; no break in the clouds, grey, cold, and miserable. The crowded capital itself too, already hectic with blue skies,…
“Somewhere with Beaches”
When I first started studying Japanese five years ago, my Dad, a slightly sceptical man, started funneling funds into a ‘just-in-case-he-doesn’t-give-up’ piggy bank. As the years passed, and it became…
My Private Island
Several weeks ago, when Indi was travelling the hill country of Northern Thailand and had left me to my own devices, I visited a lesser known island off the Coast…
Fully Booked – My Love for Onsen, and Why Mishima Killed Himself
The question Japanese people like to ask me most frequently is why I study Japanese. I thought I’d address the matter here, clearly, once and for all. It gives me…
Of Yuna and Dennis, people like Fireworks
I spent only four nights on the small and remote island of Rebun, population 3000, seeking quiet solitude. However, the universe had other plans, and threw some of its most…
From Izakaya to Digsite
Rebun is a small island off the Northern coast of Hokkaido, often compared to Scotland or Norway. Despite its sheer cliffs and green meadows, it’s mostly known for the more…