Japan Through Japanese Eyes
Japan Through Japanese Eyes
About a year after its international release, Grave of the Fireflies has finally become available for streaming in Japan. I’m pretty sure I first watched this film in elementary school as part of a class, but in truth, it is…
Have you ever heard of Japanese Love Hotels?While traveling in Japan, you might have noticed flashy buildings glowing with pink or purple neon lights. Those are Love Hotels. What is a Love Hotel? A Love Hotel is a uniquely Japanese…
At the age of 41, I became a father for the first time when my daughter was born. My wife is 37.Our journey to parenthood was anything but easy, especially since we weren’t particularly young anymore. Our Fertility Journey We’ve…
The other day my wife said, “I think the Google Maps car might have passed by our house.”She was out on the balcony, holding our daughter and enjoying the sunshine at the time. I already knew that for some reason…
Every Japanese person loves oden. While it may not be very familiar to many visitors from overseas, this time I’ll introduce some of the best places in Tokyo where you can enjoy this comforting soul food. What is Oden? Oden…
I’m now 41 years and 7 months old, and these days I practice piano.The reason I started? To quit smoking. For decades I had been a smoker, except for a few short breaks. In recent years I mainly smoked the…
Ever since we started living with Mugi and Haru, I’d been thinking about setting up a hammock for them somewhere. And then I found the perfect spot — under the table. The space in the middle is usually wasted, so…
Can Fujii Kaze, one of Japan’s top artists, break into the American mainstream? Fujii Kaze (藤井風) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and pianist.With his unique musical sensibility and authentic personality, he has earned admiration from young people and a wide range…
When it comes to ramen beloved by Japanese people, it’s not Ichiran or Ippudo. It’s Ramen Jiro! What is Ramen Jiro? The first Ramen Jiro Mita Honten opened in the 1970s and established a unique ramen style: a rich tonkotsu-based…
Four months after the birth of our daughter, my spouse and I, busy with childcare, decided to purchase an automatic cat litter box. Until now, we had been using a standard system litter box. It was inexpensive and we had…
Hey everyone!I bet you love KFC, right? When you come to Japan, there’s one burger you absolutely have to try.It’s none other than KFC’s What does “Wafu” mean?“Wafu” literally translates to “Japanese style.” In food, it often describes dishes that…
A Japanese film that everyone who works should see I love movies, but I mostly watch American or European films.I do enjoy Japanese cinema as well, but in terms of sheer number of truly interesting works, Japanese films unfortunately lag…