Tag Archives: Japan

Would You Pay to Stay in a Shipping Container

Researching hotel accommodations for an upcoming Japan trip has resulted in some unusual options. One of the oddest is Hotel R9 The Yard. This chain with the industrial-sounding name is notable for its unique lodgings, which are made out of storage … Continue reading

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Please turn down your volume

Those of you who visit regularly know that I am a fan of clever transit poster art and of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printing. I recently stumbled upon this series of posters from the Tokyo region Seibu Railways that I absolutely … Continue reading

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Would you pay a fee to visit a bookstore

Bunkitsu (文喫) in Tokyo’s Roppongi neighborhood is a bookstore that stocks more than 30,000 titles. It also features something else: an admission fee. It costs 1,650 yen (USD $10.50) on weekdays and 2,530 yen ($16) on weekends. There’s also a … Continue reading

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“It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”

As you may have noticed, my latest travel obsession revolves around all things Japan. I have never been, but I’m looking forward to a three week visit this Spring. Between travel video warnings and admonitions about tourist etiquette from Japanese … Continue reading

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Snow Patrol

We finally had our first snowfall of the season, which reminded me of this series of snowy woodblock prints by Kawase Hasui. Maybe it had something to do with my purchase of some very expensive plane tickets for a Japan … Continue reading

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Used Books and Stuff

I wish that I had this sign years ago when I was selling used books and collectibles at a flea market. While I’m not hawking any secondhand books here, I do have some stuff to share as usual. Overall European rail operators do … Continue reading

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Traveling Light

In my planning for an upcoming trip to Japan, I stumbled upon a very clever service aimed at visitors. Any Wear, Anywhere is an inspired clothing rental plan that allows tourists to literally travel light. The negative environmental effects of flying were … Continue reading

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“Now a narrative is a story, not logic, nor ethics, nor philosophy.”

“Now a narrative is a story, not logic, nor ethics, nor philosophy. It is a dream you keep having, whether you realize it or not. Just as surely as you breathe, you go on ceaselessly dreaming your story. And in … Continue reading

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Are you guilty of tsundoku

The Japanese word tsundoku means buying books and letting them pile up unread. The word dates back to the very beginning of modern Japan, the Meiji era (1868–1912) and has its origins in a pun. Tsundoku, which literally means reading pile, is … Continue reading

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アリスに聞いてみよう

In our never ending quest to bring you all known editions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland here’s アリスに聞いてみよう. Here’s  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, a Japanese edition illustrated by Maki Sasaki / text in Japanese, 205-page hardback with jacket, 5.25 … Continue reading

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