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Friday, 28 May 2021

Giant Robots and Miniature Plastic Models: Gundam as Japan's Star Wars

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There is a genre of (military) science fiction in Japan that is known all over the world: giant machines (=mechs, known as meka in Japanese,...
Thursday, 29 April 2021

Heaven and Hell in Hakone

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Before being enveloped by the madness of the new academic year, I took the chance for a brief visit to Hakone, the last opportunity to re-ch...
Thursday, 25 March 2021

'Tomodachi' Spirit: US forces in Japan and Yokota Air Force Base

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 "Japan and the United States will continue to move forward shoulder-to-shoulder as 'tomodachi' to finish the reconstruction of...
Tuesday, 23 February 2021

Scepticism and Distrust towards Vaccines in Japan: Uncertainty Avoidance and Cultural Uniqueness

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  Vaccine info sent to over 64's While COVID-19 jabs in the UK have been progressing at a brisk pace - the goal to vaccinate 15 million...
Sunday, 31 January 2021

Repairing Broken Pottery and Celebrating Imperfection: Kintsugi and Wabisabi

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In Japan, we may have a new year but nothing much seems to have changed: the declaration of a new state of emergency ( kinkyū jitai sengen ...
Monday, 28 December 2020

Praying for a Better - and Healthier - 2021 at Toshogu Shrine, Ueno's Hidden Gem

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As 2020 draws to a close most Japanese are getting ready for hatsumōde (初詣), the first shrine visit of the year when people pray for good f...
Monday, 30 November 2020

Japan's Obsession with Poop (Part 2): Lucky Golden Poos, Unko Kanji Drill books, and Toilet Humour

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The last post on Japan's obsession with poop generated a lot of attention and not a little feedback from Brits surprised that the Japan...
Friday, 30 October 2020

Japan's Obsession with Poop (Part 1): The Unko Museum

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Japan, like any other country, is full of contradictions. One area where these contradictions seem to particularly noticeable is the toilet ...
Monday, 28 September 2020

The Master of Haiku: Basho, Banana Trees, and Beloved Frogs

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An old silent pond   (古池や)　　 A frog jumps into the pond -  (蛙飛び込む) Splash! Silence again　(水の音) Matsuo Basho (1686) Last month's post in...
Wednesday, 19 August 2020

Fireworks and Haiku over Shin-Ohashi Bridge: Cultural Magic on Tokyo's Sumida River

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Library of Congress The Sumida River in Tokyo, much like the Thames in London, is the lifeblood of the city, flowing 27 kilometres through ...
Wednesday, 29 July 2020

Pictures of Japan's Floating World: Natural and Physical Beauty in Ukiyo-e

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For those starved of culture during the lockdown, the reopening of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum on July 23rd featuring a brand new ukiy...