Category Archives: Asia

Occupation Cartography

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Over the last year or two I’ve seen many social media posts about “occupying powers” and accusations about nations or peoples being “colonizers”. I’ve been thinking that maps may help clarify some of the confusion.    

Posted in Asia, Cartography, Maps, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thirty-six Views of the Eiffel Tower

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel is a book that contains 36 lithographs by Henri Rivière printed in 1902. These lithographs reflect the social, political, and artistic changes that had occurred in Paris by the end of the nineteenth … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Books, Europe, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Sounds like Japan

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

The Sound of Japan transported me directly to my happy place. Captured in the mountains and cities of Japan, this film blends immersive visuals with an original soundtrack, composed of sounds recorded on location by musician Jackson Fester. An audio-visual exploration … Continue reading →

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sentimental souvenirs of the past

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“I remembered once, in Japan, having been to see the Gold Pavilion Temple in Kyoto and being mildly surprised at quite how well it had weathered the passage of time since it was first built in the fourteenth century. I … Continue reading →

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Definitely not, but actually maybe

Posted on December 28, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

It has been suggested to me that the frequency of my posts about Japan is somehow indicative of a recently identified syndrome called 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗣𝗝𝗗). To be honest, I’ve had a history of similar responses over the years to … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Tourism | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Either you get the bear, or the bear gets you

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

In a surprise move, the U.S. State Department has issued a safety warning for parts of Japan, a country that has long been considered one of the safest in the world to visit, because of an increase in bear attacks in the … Continue reading →

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Japan’s coffee jones

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

During a recent trip to Japan I was pleasantly surprised by many things. As a coffee geek, I was happy to discover that vending machine canned coffee is actually good throughout the country. But what I didn’t expect to find … Continue reading →

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Would You Eat Bookstore Flavored Bread

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

When I first read about “Bookstore-Flavored Bread”, I thought that it was a joke. However, it’s a real thing in Korea and it’s going viral. “Yonsei Milk Kyobo Bookstore-Flavored Fresh Cream Bread” is sold exclusively at CU convenience stores.  CU … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Bookstore Tourism | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Clearance, or why did I save these in the first place

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Brian D. Butler
Posted in Art, Asia | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Summer (is fleeting)

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Originally composed as the main theme for Takeshi Kitano’s 1999 film Kikujiro, Joe Hisaishi’s beautiful piece “Summer” has long been cherished in Japan as the soundtrack of nostalgic summer memories. Now, this beloved masterpiece is reimagined as a short film. … Continue reading →

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