Did you know Japan had not one, but two Robin Hoods? Yes, these two stole from the rich and gave to the poor, risking their lives to help the common people. They were called Ishikawa Goemon and Nezumi Kozo. They might not … [Read more...]
Despite the some of the diplomatic successes between Japan and North Korea (like the repatriation of Japanese citizens or collaborating on a giant monster movie) and the fact that North Korea's Kim family has more ties to … [Read more...]
Hundreds of years ago, in an era of world history when Western countries were beginning to explore Asia, Japan stood apart from most of the rest of the world when it looked at the situation, thought "Nah," and shut its … [Read more...]
I'm constantly being reminded that the comments section of Tofugu (or any site, for that matter) can really take on a life of its own. My post a few weeks ago about weird ramen took an unexpected turn in the comments as … [Read more...]
People ask me all the time what websites I recommend—what blogs that I read as somebody who writes about Japan. I figure that I'll answer this question once and for all; or at least until people forget that I wrote this … [Read more...]
It's always strange to see which Westerners are famous in Japan yet unheard of in their own homelands. Aside from foreigner tarento who appear on TV shows, commercials, and magazines today, there are a lot of historical … [Read more...]