Happy Uniquely Japanese Valentine’s Day! What we talk about when we talk about love & sex in Japan
*浮気 (Uwaki) –1) to describe someone who can romantically love many people 2) infidelity; an affair 3) being in love with in someone other than your partner 4) (old usage)…
NEWSFLASH: Japan calls the US Election by issuing “President Biden Burger”
IT’S OFFICIAL! A Japanese diner, TSUNAMI NAVY BURGER, located near the US military base in Yokosuka, calls the election for Biden w/ release of the Biden Burger: 600 grams, full…
Japan’s Death Wish Resurges Like A Plague
Suicides in Japan are like wildfires in California: tragic, inevitable and seemingly unsolvable. According to the National Police Agency, 1805 people killed themselves in September and suicides amongst women were…
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The (Homoerotic) World of Tom of Finland: Reality and Fantasy opens September 18th. First time Tom shows in Japan!
Tom of Finland (1920-1991) was a pioneer in LGBQT and homoerotic art, blazing a trial in Finland and his works have been shown all over the world. From today September…
The mysterious conspiracy theory that explains Japan’s response to COVID-19…..or does it?
Japan's response to the coronavirus has been inept, slow and dangerous. But what if there was a method to the madness? One man has a theory that explains why Japan…
The Art of Sakoku（鎖国) – Keeping Cool and Aloof Behind Closed Doors in Japan (for future reference)
In the meantime, the Japanese got a lot of practice on keeping calm and carrying on behind closed doors, in spite of or because of everything happening in the larger…
Review: Teach me Enma-sama
In the children’s picture book Teach me Enma-sama, written and illustrated by Hiromi Tanaka, Enma who is the King of Hell in Buddhist mythology teaches children how to behave in…
Heisei to Reiwa ≠ Heiwa?
On April 30th, Emperor Akihito became the first sitting Japanese Emperor to abdicate the throne in over 200 years. Then, the following day on May 1st, his son Naruhito ascended…
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tradition, kanamara, penis festival
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Parade the Penis: Kanamara Matsuri
Text & video by Phoebe Amoroso, cover image courtesy of Kanamara Shrine Our roving reporter, Pheebz, visited the annual Kanamara Festival on April 7th, which involves a lot of phalluses.…
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“I Know Your Name….” Sex-work and blackmail in Japan
“I know your name.” I shuddered while reading the first line of this email on my mobile, I remember dropping it on my bed in disbelief. This wasn’t the usual…