The largest sci-fi franchise in Japan, Gundam could be likened to the Star Wars franchise of America. In fact, Gundam debuted in Japan in 1979, just two years after Star Wars in America. Sales of Gundam merchandise including toys, models, and video games regularly top the charts. Gundam is based on the idea of huge…
Category: Japanese Things
Silk Moth
The late summer sees the emergence of the adult silk moth, a behemoth that can reach a wingspan of nearly 15cm (6 inches). Though the moth itself is a beautiful creature (if beauty is in the eye of the beholder), it is the child form of the moth, the silkworm, that is valued to the…
Yanaka
Yanaka is a quiet neighborhood in the northeast corner of urban Tokyo, partly because it is the last of the truly shitamachi neighborhoods of old Tokyo and partly because several thousands of its inhabitants are no longer part of the living. Yanaka Cemetery takes a large part of the neighborhood and is the permanent “home”…
Zori
Called flip-flops, slippahs and other names around the world, the zori have been a fixture of footwear in Japan for centuries. Originally made of straw and perhaps rope or fabric, you can now find zori made of modern materials like rubber or vinyl as well as more expensive materials like silk brocade, which are generally paired…
Kabutomushi
Though one may not regard the kabutomushi, or rhinoceros beetle, as cute and cuddly, they remain a favorite pet for Japanese children. These huge insects which can grow to 8cm are actually quite docile. Pitted against one another, however, they turn into powerful fighters, though many children no longer participate in beetle battles (much like you…
Ebisu Bon Odori
As July comes to a close, the bon odori season is just starting in Japan. Bon odori are festivals where entire communities come together to socialize and dance in honor of the dead. In Tokyo, the neighborhood of Ebisu seems to have made the perfect transition of bon odori from the rural village to the…
Kokeshi
The humble kokeshi were said to be invented in the Tohoku region of Japan as souvenirs for travelers coming to enjoy the regional hot springs. The simple design of traditional kokeshi is a round “head” attached to a cylinder body, created from cherry or mizuki wood by an artisan using a lathe. If the faces…
Tohoku Week – Zao Fox Village
If the idea of being inside an enclosure where wild foxes outnumber humans by dozens to one, perhaps this unique tourist attraction isn’t for you. But if you are intrigued by the beauty of these mysterious animals, the Zao Fox Village is a fairly short detour off the Tohoku Expressway south of Sendai. Foxes are…
Kakigori
When July and August roll around, the people of Japan swoon in the hot and humid weather. Perhaps that feeling led to the invention of kakigori, finely shaved ice flavored with a variety of sweet goodness. Kakigori is widely available on the cheap with a variety of artificial, bright colored flavored syrups like strawberry, lemon,…
Japanese Beetle
Shiny as emeralds and completely harmless to humans and pets, it would be easy to dismiss Japanese beetles as just another cute Japanese export. But these little devils are incredibly destructive to plants of all sorts, here devastating a huge field of Iceland poppies in a Tokyo park. Japanese Beetles snuck into North America in…
365 JAPAN 