Exploring Culture, Week by Week
You thought I was done talking about daruma? Do you even know me? Have you met me? I don’t think the discussion about daruma will ever end, to be honest. This one isn’t directly daruma (DD), but it is daruma-adjacent (DA). Let’s journey to Fukushima and investigate the balance boys and girls known as Okiagari […]
Read More Weeble Wobble, Roly Poly, Okiagari KoboshiThere’s been an epic struggle down in Osaka concerning convenience store chain Seven-Eleven and a franchisee, Mitoshi Matsumoto. It’s a delicious tale of corporate greed, concerned citizens, and flying kicks to stationary vehicles. It also sheds a small bit of light on the oftentimes poor working conditions that many Japanese workers face.
Read More Seven Eleven versus Mitoshi MatsumotoIt’s a bold claim, but what happened here completely rewrote the trajectory of the warrior class in Japan and Japanese society as a whole. Let’s explore its fabled history together!
Read More Why is Aizuwakamatsu Known as The Samurai City?Hideyo Noguchi is one of the scientific masters of Japan, and his birthday is November 9th! His achievements were so important and revered in Japan that he adorns the 1000 yen bill (although, that will change in the future). He was born in Inawashiro, Fukushima, and both in his hometown and nearby Aizuwakamatsu are some […]
Read More Hideyo Noguchi Sites in FukushimaYes, you heard that correctly. This one was brought to my attention after watching a lore video about the popular game Elden Ring. This lead me down a series of twists and turns I was not anticipating, and neither will you!
Read More The Soul in Your Butt, According to Japanese LegendA whole land dedicated to Daruma? Yes, yes there is! Of course, I had to go out to Shirakawa in Fukushima to check out this newly built establishment!
Read More Daruma LandMy wife made a vow at the start of this year: To visit every Nippon Pro Baseball (NPB) stadium across Japan. We saved our money, made our travel plans, and set out on this journey together. Next up, let’s take a look at the stadiums in the Central League.
Read More Every Nippon Pro Baseball Stadium: Central LeagueMy wife made a vow at the start of this year: To visit every Nippon Pro Baseball (NPB) stadium across Japan. We saved our money, made our travel plans, and set out on this journey together. First up, let’s take a look at the stadiums in the Pacific League.
Read More Every Nippon Pro Baseball Stadium: Pacific LeagueI don’t typically watch sports on TV very often; I get very easily distracted. But plop me down in a stadium, and I could chill and watch sports for hours. That’s what happened with me and tennis as I found myself at the Toray Pan Pacific Open (TPPO) tennis finals this year.
Read More WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis Finals 2022Nagoya has a bit of a boring reputation (there’s even an entire website dedicated to debunking this notion, to which I am very grateful). If you do find yourself without much to do in Nagoya, why not eat two iconic treats from the city?
Read More Must-Eats in Nagoya: Ogura Toast and Tebasaki Chicken Wings
Two Second Street 