Comedy in the US is a pretty lonely business. When you think of major comedians, you think of solo acts like Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K., or Chris Rock. True comedy duos haven't been around since the days of Abbott and … [Read more...]
When most people think of Japan, a few images stick out in their head: things like cherry blossoms, Mt. Fuji, and Kinkaku-ji. You might not know the name Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺), but you're almost certainly seen pictures of … [Read more...]
Over the last couple of months, I've developed a minor obsession with North Korea. I've devoured documentaries (like the excellent Vice documentary) and books (like the amazing Nothing to Envy) and I'm just astounded by … [Read more...]
When I was a kid, I was over at a friend's house and found a magazine with a bunch of comics in it. As I started looking through it, I found a horrifying comic. I'd never really seen a comic like it before, and was really … [Read more...]
Earlier this year I got a nice surprise in the mail: Tuttle Publishing sent me three books: Ninja Attack!, Yokai Attack!, and the new Yurei Attack!. The books were written by Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda, a husband and wife … [Read more...]
You can learn a lot about a person by seeing how they act under pressure, in tough situations. Some people flounder, while others rise to the occasion. Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara showed what he was made of during … [Read more...]