Last week on my way home from dinner I was suddenly bombarded by the sound of loud music and happy voices. It was the Fall Festival, or Aki Matsuri, near my home, so I decided to attend. I always enjoy these festivals, especially when they...
Recently, the New York Times published an interview with the author and publisher Jann Wenner. He talked about his new book containing interviews with 7 White, male musicians. When asked why there aren’t any interviews with women in the book, he stated that “none of...
Today, for the first time in my life, I got to see a live rhinoceros beetle. In Japan the children here have many opportunities to see, or even buy rhinoceros beetles, but I never had the chance growing up in New York, since the species...
Here’s a list of the bagel flavors available recently at a store here in Tokyo:MangoPistachio & White ChocolateBlueberryMaple & WalnutsCheeseEarl Grey Milk TeaCocoa & White ChocolateMelonI don’t know why some people feel that bagels should be a substitute for cake. If I wanted cake, I...
Imagine if humans were able to hibernate. Personally, I’ve always been fascinated by animals that are able to sleep for several months without the need for food, heat or other creature comforts. Recent research has shown that it might be possible to use ultrasound to...
I was relieved to hear that Ed Sheeran won his recent copyright trial. As you probably know, the family of the songwriter Ed Townsend sued Ed Sheeran, alleging that Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud” infringed on the copyright of the Marvin Gaye song “Let’s Get...
I ordered croquettes for lunch the other day. A croquette is a deep fried roll that originated in France. It had been a while since I had ordered them and I was reminded of the variety of flavors available: potato, cheese, corn, cream, crab, pumpkin,...
Today is White Day. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a tradition that was started by a Japanese candy company in an effort to increase its sales. According to the generally accepted rules of Valentine’s Day and White Day in Japan, it is...
Recently I passed by a new housing development called South Park. I’m guessing that the developers aren’t aware of the long running television animation series South Park. They probably don’t know that naming their development South Park runs counter to the image of a bucolic,...
Creating a homepage has aroused some feelings of nostalgia in me, looking back. Going way back, growing up in New York, I remember my first exposure to Japanese culture was from my grandparents. When I was a child my maternal grandparents (originally from Japan) would...