September 13

Shiba Dango!

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Okay, usually biting a dog butt would not be top of my to-do list, but I’d totally make an exception for these so-cute-it-hurts shiba dango! Compared to other takes on this classic heaven-on-a-stick festival snack, these are way more adorbs than mitarashi donuts and run gooey rice ball rings around the inexplicable mitarashi sundae topped […]

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August 30

Let’s Go To The Crowdfunded Host Club!

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Okay, is this a book lover’s ultimate fantasy, or what? A romantic read, dished up by a handsome young man with a talent for whispering sweet nothings in your ear while plying you with champagne? The “Kabukicho Book Center” – a brand new crowdfunding idea by the venerable Smappa! host club group – promises to […]

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August 26

Flower Dream 2017

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Just when you need a little something to lift your wilted spirits, the dog days of summer fail to dish up a single Japanese flower extravaganza. Which is why I’ve been saving these snippets of last spring’s Flower Dream Expo for your reviving pleasure! • Read a novel set in Tokyo

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August 18

The Lost Cat Shrine

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Don’t you just hate it when your kittehs get a touch of the walkabout? Well now you can do something about it. A quick prayer at the Tachikawa Suitengu Shrine will have them back on your doorstep quicker than a twist of the can opener! If you’d like to visit the Lost Cat Shrine the […]

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August 14

The Meat Washcloth

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Still looking for that perfect souvenir to surprise your friends back home? Well, they certainly won’t be expecting this. • Read a novel set in Tokyo…

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July 22

Hilarious Haiku About The Small Embarrassments Of Modern Life

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So, last week I discovered Yamada Zendo, an artist who pens haiku-like truisms paired with pitch-perfect drawings, and they are SO FUNNY…if you can read handwritten Japanese, that is. Fortunately, I have a friend who helped me with the more opaque characters (and because no good deed goes unpunished, will be pestered to do so […]

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July 09

Why Are Tattoos Still Taboo In Japan? (Spoiler: It’s not because they think you’re a gangster)

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So, everyone knows you can get kicked out of hot springs, public swimming pools, and water parks in Japan if you’ve got visible ink, even if it’s a teeny, tiny, adorable Hello Kitty. But why? The usual excuse is that nobody wants their nice business infested with yakuza gangsters, which is the only Japanese group […]

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