Kawaii (かわいい), most commonly translated as “cute,” is practically everywhere in Japan – and I do mean everywhere. To paraphrase author Mary Roach, the Japanese save money with cute, pray with cute, and even … [Read more...]
Japan, Why So Kawaii?
Who Let the Dogs Out? Notable Japanese Dogs
Ah, dogs. (Wo)man’s best friend! My profile picture is of Fionna hugging Cake the Cat, and I volunteer at a cat shelter on the weekend, but here’s the thing: I’m actually a dog person. So, why not write a … [Read more...]
Radio Calisthenics: Keeping Fit and Keeping in Line the Japanese Way
Rajio taiso (ラジオ体操), or “radio exercises” is an integral (if slightly dorky) part of Japanese culture. You’ve probably come across it even if you don’t live in Japan – it pops up all the time in … [Read more...]
“Here Kitty, Kitty…” Obake Series: Bakeneko
Today’s post is a continuation of the obake series, which so far has covered kitsune and tanuki. Obake (お化け) is a blanket term for the shapeshifters of Japanese folklore, with shapeshifting being a common … [Read more...]
“I Just Ate WHAT?” A Selection of Wonderfully Weird Japanese Foods
Oh, you're probably thinking. Another one of those “Weird Japanese foods” posts. I don’t blame you – “weird” is a matter of perception, and depends very much on who is looking down the … [Read more...]
Scoop Me Up, Buttercup: Goldfish in Paradoxical Japan
Modern day goldfish are believed to have descended from several red mutants of the Chinese funa carp. These mutants, or hibuna (ヒブナ), in turn mutated into the wakin (和金), the first goldfish that were brought into Japan in … [Read more...]