The Curious Case of Hyakumansan

In 2013, Mr. One Million, Hyakumansan, upset the residents of Ishikawa prefecture, whom he was supposed to represent, by being too ugly. Overdesigned. Not cute enough. Nearly a decade later, he’s still standing as the mascot of Ishikawa but what was all that hullabaloo about? Is he really as messy as they said he was? […]

Gold Leaf of Kanazawa

Kanazawa, aside from being a historical wonderland to rival Kyoto, is also the home of the gold leaf industry in Japan. Take a walk with me through a golden garden, won’t you?

Weeble Wobble, Roly Poly, Okiagari Koboshi

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 […]

Seven Eleven versus Mitoshi Matsumoto

There’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.

Why is Aizuwakamatsu Known as The Samurai City?

It’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!

Hideyo Noguchi Sites in Fukushima

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 […]

The Soul in Your Butt, According to Japanese Legend

Yes, 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!

Daruma Land

A 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!

Higashi Chaya and Nishi Chaya Geisha Districts of Kanazawa

Most people know about Gion, the famous Geisha district in Kyoto, but are there any others out there? Well, there’s a hidden gem of a city, Kanazawa, that has not one, not two, but three surviving Geisha districts! We went to the two larger ones, the West and East Tea Districts, to check out the […]

Why Are Japanese Schools So… English?

If you come to Japan, or if you’ve watched any school-based anime, you probably know what I’m getting at here: There are a few sights and sounds in Japan that they took directly from the English. From sailor uniforms to a familiar school jingle, Japan owes a lot of its iconic school culture to England.