Marijuana (大麻） in Japan：Don't Smoke More Than You Can Eat
Unlike speed （覚醒剤）it's not a crime to use it, only to possess it
Hosts and Hostesses: Some thoughts on Hiroko Tabuchi's great article
Tabuchi-san wrote an interesting piece about the resurgent popularity of hostess jobs in Japan in the New York Times last week. I contributed a commentary to the debate blog about…
Yakuza Superstitions #1
When a yakuza sees a hearse (霊柩車/reikyusha) coming towards him in traffic, he’ll often put down the cell-phone which he has semi-permanently attached to his ear, and hides his thumb…