Chances are, if you’ve ever been to a Japanese or Chinese restaurant, you’ve probably seen one. Their happy looking eyes. Their little paws that beckon you towards them. That cute mouth that just seems to say “Hey you! Buy some egg rolls!” Yes, I’m talking about Japan’s beckoning cat, maneki-neko. They’re common in restaurants, stores [...]
Even though I was way too young to gamble the first time I visited Japan, pachinko really interested me. My dad tried to take us into a pachinko parlor to see what the hubbub was about, but the staff quickly spotted a then 10-year-old Hashi and kicked us out. During Tofugu’s trip to Japan this [...]
You can read about Japan for years and learn a lot about the country; but there’s something missing if you can’t hear and see those same things. That’s why I love documentaries about Japan so much. They give you a look into some of the most interesting things happening in Japan without having to buy [...]
You’ll see me write a lot about how Japan is a much more diverse country than people give it credit for, but people don’t always belive me. There are actually huge cultural differences between different parts of Japan, from the small things (like standing on different sides of the escalator) to bigger things—like bullfighting. Japanese [...]
While many of you non-American countries will scoff at the idea of it being difficult to procure alcohol underage, Americans will know how difficult it is to get away with this sort of thing. Many American stores and restaurants have a “if they look under 35, card them” policy. Still others have a “always card, [...]
Golden Week was last week. You may have heard of it, you may have not. Golden Week takes place in Japan at the very end of April and lasts through the first week of May. People take vacations, travel the country or abroad, and generally have a great time regardless of the ensuing crowds. But [...]
A hamburger in Japan is many things. People in the US tend to have a pretty narrow view of the food—all you really need is two buns with a beef patty in between. Maybe if you’re feeling especially adventurous, you have something more unusual, like barbecue sauce, brioche bun, or blue cheese, but that’s really [...]
