Every year in the city of Kitakyushu, Coming-of-Age Day is celebrated in over-the top style by 20-year-olds kitted out in outlandish versions of Japanese formalwear. The second Monday in January (the holiday on which all Japanese twenty-year-olds become legal adults) is well known by kimono-spotters all over Japan as the best day all year toContinueContinue reading “Speed Tribes come of age, Yanki style”
Author Archives: Jonelle Patrick
The best winter gift of 2020? A Japanese stomach warmer!
Don’t laugh! The humble haramaki is making a comeback, because nothing—and I mean nothing—keeps you warmer while sitting at your desk fielding endless zoom calls than this legwarmer for your midriff. I didn’t believe it until I tried it, but it turns out that once I started keeping my midsection warm, I didn’t need theContinueContinue reading “The best winter gift of 2020? A Japanese stomach warmer!”
Tokyo’s best-dressed nude statue: It’s that Santa time of year
Tokyo’s best-dressed nude statue changes into the jolly old elf for the month of December, but sometimes his costumers get a bit…creative. When they started in the year 2000, the first few years were pretty tame… Then someone gave him a pet reindeer Which ushered in a period of hog-wild experimentation… that provoked some sortContinueContinue reading “Tokyo’s best-dressed nude statue: It’s that Santa time of year”
Japanese Lego Town Kits
OMG, look at the minifigs! If you don’t have someone on your list who would kill for one of these, you need new friends. These Lego-compatible* kits for building your very own Japanese town populated by Japanese minifigs from all walks of life are hilariously accurate, and they keep delivering the delight, right down toContinueContinue reading “Japanese Lego Town Kits”
Uber Dandy Kimono: Wildly modern, breathtakingly bold, insanely stunning
Tia Oguri is so fabulous I can’t even I’ve been a fan of the divine Tia Oguri since long before she began designing kimono with traditional African fabrics, because her kimono styling has always been out-of-this-world fresh and exciting. Her latest venture, though, is pure WOW. Take a look at her Uber Dandy Kimono designs,ContinueContinue reading “Uber Dandy Kimono: Wildly modern, breathtakingly bold, insanely stunning”
Perfect 2020 Halloween costumes from Japan
If you’re desperate to get out after months of quarantining and can’t resist that invite to a good old-fashioned Halloween party, the ace variety store Don Kihote suggests some costumes that will enforce that social distancing with a vengeance! Hard to get any clearer than this! If you’re worried your fellow revelers might have troubleContinueContinue reading “Perfect 2020 Halloween costumes from Japan”
When Nothing But Unnecessarily Large Tanuki Testicles Will Do
You’ve probably seen these adorable tanuki figures outside of your favorite Japanese bar or restaurant, but did you happen to notice how, er, well endowed they are? Yeah. Can’t unsee. Now that you know to look, it’s amazing you never noticed before, right? But nobody celebrated these giant gonads more inventively than Edo period artists.ContinueContinue reading “When Nothing But Unnecessarily Large Tanuki Testicles Will Do”
The World of The Last Tea Bowl Thief
The new book is a two-timeline tale, with one thread taking place in the samurai era, and the other unspooling in modern-day Tokyo, where two women from opposite sides of the globe discover that both their futures depend on possessing a cultural treasure that’s been missing since before they were born, but neither can getContinueContinue reading “The World of The Last Tea Bowl Thief”
Subway manners meet covid—with a side of prejudice—in these new posters
Subway manners posters have admonished commuters not to whack fellow commuters onto the tracks with their rockabilly hair, avoid grabbing the station employees by their neckties, and stop dying from overwork, but this is the first time they’ve taken on rudeness in time of pandemic. Dashing onto a car just as the doors close andContinueContinue reading “Subway manners meet covid—with a side of prejudice—in these new posters”
Entertainingly altered missionary signs elevate cats to their rightful place
Twitter user Derek Wessman is a genius to have spotted (and appropriately translated) these brilliantly vandalized Japanese missionary signs that change the word “god” into the word “cat” by removing a few small strokes. “The kingdom of Cat is close at hand” The character for “god”（神）appeared on the original signs, but the world’s most meticulousContinueContinue reading “Entertainingly altered missionary signs elevate cats to their rightful place”
Amazing scenes emerge as you use this notepad
The Japanese design firm Triad just released one of the most Japanese products ever: the Hogwarts Castle notepad. Wait, that’s not Japanese! But…it is. The latest design in a series of notepads that reveal 3-D scenes as each piece of paper is peeled away happens to be Hogwarts Castle, but the idea of creating threeContinueContinue reading “Amazing scenes emerge as you use this notepad”
How lucky is YOUR name?
When your parents agonized over the perfect name for you, I hope they avoided all the usual pitfalls—initials that accidentally spell swear words, traumatizing nicknames, monikers that belong to disgraced celebrities or lame people they knew growing up—but if they aren’t Japanese, I bet they didn’t think about the numbers. Wait, what? Numbers? What numbers?ContinueContinue reading “How lucky is YOUR name?”
Hilarious haiku ask those burning questions about modern life
The talented artist known as y_haiku on Twitter and Instagram does it again! Why is it that… Movie hackersalways commit their crimesin dark rooms? • Why is it that… I don’t need that discarded manualuntil it’s timeto find the right charger? • Why is it that… I can never make it looklike I remembered toContinueContinue reading “Hilarious haiku ask those burning questions about modern life”
When you wish upon a…monk?
I don’t know about you, but this year has given me a lot more respect for luck than I used to have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMFOMor-py8 If 2020 had a spirit animal In Japan, people are a lot more comfortable with acknowledging that stuff we can’t control—aka Fate—plays a huge part in determining the course of our lives.ContinueContinue reading “When you wish upon a…monk?”
Six Surprising Reasons Japanese People Wear Masks, Even When There’s No Pandemic
If you’ve been puzzling over why Japan is such a “mask-wearing society,” it’s not because they’re all super-OCD about germs. Here are six excellent Japanese reasons to wear a mask that have nothing to do with the dread COVID: 1 – You overslept Because if this is your typical morning routine… …you can cut yourContinueContinue reading “Six Surprising Reasons Japanese People Wear Masks, Even When There’s No Pandemic”
Live Your Best Miniature Life for a Year in Tokyo’s Small Worlds Theme Park
If you’ve ever wished you could shrink yourself and live in one of the amazing model worlds Japan is so famous for…now you can! Small Worlds—a vast, animatronic, model-trains-on-steriods theme park that not only reimagines Tokyo, but the Sailor Moon and Evangelion versions of it—offers a one-year “residence permit” that allows a tiny 3D-scanned modelContinueContinue reading “Live Your Best Miniature Life for a Year in Tokyo’s Small Worlds Theme Park”
An Only-In-Japan Problem If There Ever Was One
We’re coming into high matsuri season, when the local Shinto gods are paraded through the neighborhood to remind them of all the people and businesses they’re supposed to be keeping a lucky eye on, but these sake-filled summertime festivals that feature scantily-clad men rocking that shrine through the streets… come with their own peculiar anxiety…ContinueContinue reading “An Only-In-Japan Problem If There Ever Was One”
Japanese Emoticons: So Many Feels Beyond Emoji
You know how they keep adding emoji, but there never seems to be one that matches exactly how you’re feeling? Do you ever find yourself wishing that, for example, there was one to represent the happy you feel when the shoes you ordered online turn out to be cute AND comfortable, and a different oneContinueContinue reading “Japanese Emoticons: So Many Feels Beyond Emoji”
Modern Kimonos To Die For: These Designers Are Giving An Old Artform New Edge
Hello, fellow kimono lovers of all shapes, sizes, colors, & geographic persuasions! If you’re like me, and love modern kimono dressing—especially my favorite kimono hime style—you’re in for a treat! Kimono princessing is all about mixing East and West, colors and patterns, styles and eras, and it warmly embraces vintage, second-hand delights as well asContinueContinue reading “Modern Kimonos To Die For: These Designers Are Giving An Old Artform New Edge”
Japanese Capsule Toys Explain the Five Stages of Quarantine Hair Grief
DENIAL “Wow, thanks, yours is growing out great too” ANGER “BURN IT WITH FIRE” BARGAINING “If I could just find the right accessories” DEPRESSION “Who cares? We’re probably never leaving our house again anyway” ACCEPTANCE “You know, even after this is all over, I might just keep wearing this turban” •
Gachapon animals ask their mirrors the most burning quarantine questions
Does this mask make my butt look big? Thicc Boi? Who’s a Thicc Boi? Dessert? Did someone mention dessert? How can I compel my overserfs to order things that come in bigger boxes? •
Tweets from the Pillow Book: Pandemic Version
If Sei Shonagon (author of that famous tenth-century snark-bible The Pillow Book) had been alive today and quarantined with the rest of us, I’m pretty sure she’d have tweeted these: @seishonagon The flowers in full bloom at a closed park #thingsthataredistantthoughnear • @seishonagon You finally make it to the front of the line for the supermarket, but realizeContinueContinue reading “Tweets from the Pillow Book: Pandemic Version”
J-style Social Distancing Measurements for the Rest of Us
Yesterday I posted about Japan’s highly amusing subway posters that tell people to stand one tuna away from fellow pandemic commuters… But in the rest of the world, giant tuna are not exactly an everyday sight. I heard that Florida was suggesting a more familiar local measurement: Lol. But how big is an alligator, really?ContinueContinue reading “J-style Social Distancing Measurements for the Rest of Us”
How To Measure Social Distance, J-Style
Those of us who’ve been under quarantine for a month have stood in enough lines by now that we’ve probably got a pretty good eye for the “six foot” (two meter) guideline, but in crowded Japan, not so much. So they’ve plastered the subways with posters giving hilariously helpful hints for judging how close notContinueContinue reading “How To Measure Social Distance, J-Style”
Kanji Drill Toilet Paper: For All Your Japanese Study Needs
Take care of two pressing needs at once with the ideal Japanese product for these troubled times: Professor Poop kanji-studying toilet paper! Schools are closed, but that doesn’t mean kids have an excuse to slack off – anyone who stops relentlessly memorizing those complicated kanji characters every week won’t be able to read the dailyContinueContinue reading “Kanji Drill Toilet Paper: For All Your Japanese Study Needs”
Kawaii Masks
Nyan, nyan, mina-san! Hey, just because we all have to wear masks now doesn’t mean we have to look like grim extras from ER. In Japan, face masks have been a fashion go-to forever, because everyone still wanted to look kawaii while not spreading around their sneezy, cough-y plague-droplets in public. But it wasn’t longContinueContinue reading “Kawaii Masks”
Artist Turns The Best Pet Tweets Into Hilarious Tiny Sculptures
If I had to nominate one artist for Most Sanity-Saving In The Time of Coronavirus, it would absolutely be @meetissai, whose miniature sculptures inspired by pet tweets never fail to make me laugh out loud. Step away from your keyboard if you’re drinking tea, because I now present, for your spench-worthy enjoyment, these. This wasContinueContinue reading “Artist Turns The Best Pet Tweets Into Hilarious Tiny Sculptures”
These lovely Tokyo sites light up at night
One of the most entertaining things you can do in Tokyo is wander around town after the sun goes down! The wizards of stagecraft have worked their magic all over Tokyo, and all kinds of interesting stuff lights up after dark, in dramatic and technologically inventive ways. Everyone can enjoy ogling everything from traditional templesContinueContinue reading “These lovely Tokyo sites light up at night”
Cutest Curry Rice Molds On The Planet
I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to Japanese curry rice molds, but these two cuties redefine ADORABLE. The only problem is that it comes in both cat and panda, and it’s too hard to decide (would it be greedy to get both? SHUT UP) Found these at the Don Kihote in ShibuyaContinueContinue reading “Cutest Curry Rice Molds On The Planet”
Nine spectacular cherry blossom gardens, a firewalking field trip & a book giveaway!
March 2020 Japanagram e-magazine features
Five Japanese flower seasons that will make you happy you missed the cherry blossoms
If you have to postpone your Japan trip and miss the cherry blossoms this spring, don’t despair! There are other flower seasons you can catch after the current contagion dies down that deliver just as much flowers-as-far-as-the-eye-can-see amazement, without the crowds. If eye-popping flowers are what you’re longing to see, here are my five favorites,ContinueContinue reading “Five Japanese flower seasons that will make you happy you missed the cherry blossoms”
More Haiku Musings On The Ironies Of Modern Life
Elderly uncle buying sake. Do I really have to Check his ID? • This odd store. I’ve never seen a customer here, Yet, it survives. • The forecast changes To match the weather. Sneaky. • Why was my prayer So much shorter? I’m embarrassed. • That gangster Would be more frightening Without the child seats.ContinueContinue reading “More Haiku Musings On The Ironies Of Modern Life”
Feast Your Eyes On This: A Shop Full Of Taisho, Meiji & Showa Era Kimonos
Whoa, is that a Meissen silk…? ga-ZINGGGG! Today I was beelining toward a garden, through a neighborhood I never visit, when I was stopped cold by the kimono lovers’ equivalent of Aladdin’s Cave. Your nose would have been glued the glass too, if you’d spotted this many brilliant & pristine Meissen silk kimonos in oneContinueContinue reading “Feast Your Eyes On This: A Shop Full Of Taisho, Meiji & Showa Era Kimonos”
Spring Arrives Early: Flowers by Naked 2020
Just when you’re beginning to long for spring but it’s still shivery and damp and gray outside…Flowers By Naked arrives! The projection-mapping environment group Naked is staging its annual flower-themed extravaganza again for the whole month of February, so hop on over there and get a dose of spring fever. This year’s theme is “Sakura”ContinueContinue reading “Spring Arrives Early: Flowers by Naked 2020”
How Did I Survive Before There Were Standing Cat Toys?
The question isn’t really “Do I really need more gachapon capsule toys?” but “How did I ever communicate without them?” “Would it have killed you?” “＊…” “29. Why do you ask?” “Are you going to eat that all by yourself?” “Don’t even think of it.” This series may be sold out by the time you’re next inContinueContinue reading “How Did I Survive Before There Were Standing Cat Toys?”
If You Miss The 2020 Tokyo International Quilt Festival You Will Have REGRETS
This one is from last year, but you can be sure there will be equally fantastic offerings in 2020! (“Memories” by Reiko Hatakeyama, 2019) The Tokyo International Quilt Festival that used to happen every January is no more, but Yokohama stepped into the breach with a fabulous new quilt extravaganza that happens every November! Here’sContinueContinue reading “If You Miss The 2020 Tokyo International Quilt Festival You Will Have REGRETS”
It’s Time For The Craziest Car Show In Tokyo
If it’s mid-January, you know where to find me: Tokyo’s biggest eye-candy car event of the year, Tokyo Auto Salon! Unlike the more stuffy Tokyo Auto Show (where big makers debut their new offerings and concept cars), Tokyo Auto Salon is for people who definitely don’t want something off the rack. From samurai rides toContinueContinue reading “It’s Time For The Craziest Car Show In Tokyo”
Kimono Princess For A Day!
Ever since I discovered that one of the most inspiring kimono stylists I know offers private tour and photo sessions, I’ve been dying to swan around Tokyo in a gorgeous ensemble, styled down to the last deco bracelet by modern kimono maven Anji Salz. (If you don’t already follow @salztokyo on Instagram, check these photosContinueContinue reading “Kimono Princess For A Day!”
The One Word Saint
As the old year draws to a close (and we say good riddance to all that was disappointing and discouraging), and a new year is about to begin (along with the ever-springing hope that it will be better than the last), I find myself thinking about this odd little booth that sits in a quietContinueContinue reading “The One Word Saint”
Fresh Acts Of Santa Blasphemy
Once again, Japanese costume purveyors are outdoing themselves with even more WTF ways to impersonate Saint Nick, which (I think you’ll have to agree) is a pretty heroic effort if you dispense with the red suit, the beard, and even the tiniest nod to jolly… This “Santa” looks like he might show up with aContinueContinue reading “Fresh Acts Of Santa Blasphemy”
At The Mori Museum: 3D-Printed Sushi & Other Glimpses Of The Future
The Mori Museum’s current exhibit, Future and the Arts: AI, Robotics, Cities, Life – How Humanity Will Live Tomorrow pushes all my favorite buttons: food, fashion & WTF! It’s a satisfyingly huge show, with installations ranging from utopian plans that harness cutting-edge tech, to darker commentary on how we’ll use technology to evolve in a worldContinueContinue reading “At The Mori Museum: 3D-Printed Sushi & Other Glimpses Of The Future”
Where to see the best winter illuminations in Tokyo
The holiday light displays have become a bit more subdued since the pandemic, but there are still plenty of amazing light shows, if you know where to look! Here are the ones right in central Tokyo you can see for free! Tokyo Midtown Roppongi Roppongi’s Midtown mall stages a choreographed holiday light show along theContinueContinue reading “Where to see the best winter illuminations in Tokyo”
The Shrine Maiden Vending Machine
Are ya feelin’ lucky? Because this vending machine dispenses fortunes, just like the ones you can buy at Japanese shrines! But that’s not all – it’s delivered by a little animatronic shrine maiden, who fetches if from the inner precincts and deposits it in the offering box for your future-divining pleasure. Color-changing lights flash andContinueContinue reading “The Shrine Maiden Vending Machine”
Where To See The Best Autumn Leaves In Tokyo…Lit Up At Night!
The hot new trend of holiday illuminations in Tokyo has spread to the gardens and parks, with more and more lighting up their naturally spectacular autumn leaves and opening for special evening viewing! Here are my current favorites: • SHOWA KINEN PARK near Tachikawa Station There are two areas lit up at night: 1: TheContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Autumn Leaves In Tokyo…Lit Up At Night!”
Killer Chrysanthemums 2019
It’s that time of year again, when the chrysanthemum wranglers of Tokyo liberate their flower-of-choice from ragtag funeral bouquets and show the world they can hold their own with far more glamorous blooms! Here’s what’s new for 2019: • YUSHIMA TENJIN SHRINE It’s hard to argue that this isn’t the must-see chrysanthemum diorama every year.ContinueContinue reading “Killer Chrysanthemums 2019”
One Fried Noodle Sandwich, Please
From the land that junk food shame forgot, this. A yakisoba sandwich is basically the Japanese equivalent of cold pizza for breakfast, on a bun. This is what frugal Japanese fry up for breakfast if one of their fridge leftovers happens to be noodles, so it was rare to find this homely item for saleContinueContinue reading “One Fried Noodle Sandwich, Please”
The Most Beautiful Autumn Leaves In Japan
Last fall on this exact day, I was ogling some of the most gorgeous autumn leaves in Japan, and I’ve been WAITING for the season to roll around again, so I can show you! All these places are within shouting distance of Tokyo, but while the leaves are still maddeningly green in the city, they’reContinueContinue reading “The Most Beautiful Autumn Leaves In Japan”
Smart Illumination Yokohama 2019: WOW
This year, there were fewer artworks at the Yokohama Smart Illuminations, but the ones on exhibit were SO worth seeing! Or – more accurately – worth DOING. Because this year the participation element was front and center, and quite a few of them required serious athletic juice from the audience to power them. When IContinueContinue reading “Smart Illumination Yokohama 2019: WOW”
Insanely Detailed Sculptures Made From Japanese Snack Packages
Generations of small boys have fantasized about becoming mighty cyborgs while scarfing Bisco cookies From the nation of insane Japanese modelmakers, this. The artist known as “Karabako Shokunin Harukiru” (That’s “Empty Box Craftsman Harukiru” to you), snips and folds and glues the unlikely medium of Japanese snack food boxes into unbelievably intricate sculptures, and rightContinueContinue reading “Insanely Detailed Sculptures Made From Japanese Snack Packages”
The Most Only-In-Japan Halloween Costumes Ever
Tired of being the same old sexy skunk or slightly NSFW goose in a tutu for Halloween? Keep your fellow costume partiers guessing with these only-in-Japan puzzlers! However much mini-skirted shrine maidens might figure in cosplay fantasies, you can be sure this will be the first time everyone actually sees one IRL And if you’reContinueContinue reading “The Most Only-In-Japan Halloween Costumes Ever”
Only In Japan 