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Tag Archives: Japan
Superimposition
I was at a party last weekend trying to describe the size of Japan compared to North America and did a fairly good job without the aid of a map. But of course I had to track one down just … Continue reading
A Floating Library That Delivers
I love a good library story and this one certainly delivers. Cutting through the white-capped waves of Japan’s Seto Inland Sea is a one-of-kind “floating library”. This is Hon no Mori-go (ほんのもり号) designed to provide children living on remote islands … Continue reading
Kyoto Book Festival
I never considered visiting Kyoto during Japan’s notoriously hot and humid summer until I read about The Shimogamo Nōryō Furuhon Matsuri (下鴨納涼古本まつり) Japan’s largest annual outdoor secondhand book festival. It takes place in the ancient, protected primeval forest of Tadasu … Continue reading
Devotion of Suspect X
Keigo Higashino, a bestselling Japanese mystery writer whose works were widely translated, died July 23 at age 68, the New York Times reported. Higashino published more than 100 titles, many of which were adapted into movies in Japan and abroad. His final … Continue reading
“Name the most horrible thing you know!”
This ukiyo-e woodblock print, by the late Edo period artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), illustrates a story involving the “Sea Monk” or Umibōzu, a spirit in Japanese folklore. The ocean dwelling spirit — so called because of his smooth monk-like round head — is … Continue reading
Tokyo Sounds
By pure serendipity I happened to stumble upon a documentary about the catchy little melodies that the train stations in Tokyo play when a train pulls in to a platform. This lucky find happened before I visited Tokyo, so I … Continue reading
Tokyo Free Wi-Fi
In Japan, public phones have fallen from about 580,000 in 2002 to around 100,000 today. Yet many remain legally maintained for disaster communication, providing a vital connection when mobile networks fail. Now, they are taking on new roles. Tokyo and … Continue reading
We must not let the system control us
“If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the egg, I will stand on the side of the egg. Why? Because each of us is … Continue reading
Would you leave your laptop unattended in a coffee shop here for 10 minutes?
When I was in Japan, I was constantly surprised to see laptops, mobile phones and other electronics, as well as purses and backpacks, left unattended in coffeeshops and cafes. That level of trust in strangers is now nonexistent in the … Continue reading
