Author - Tim Patrick

Japan in Miniature

Japan has proven time and again that some of the biggest, world-transforming products and ideas can come from a landmass that is somewhat smallish. And since the advent of the transistor radio, they keep reusing this...

Japan Stops Using Masks (in Theory)

This Monday, March 13, was a bright day in Japan, not just from the increasingly springlike weather, but also because of a newfound facial freedom. For it was on this day that various jurisdictions across the country...

How Many Foreign Residents Live in Japan?

When you wander around Japan, be it the countryside or in urban areas, you notice right away that there are a lot of Japanese people here. But every once in a while, you will see a foreign face. Sometimes when I come...

What is Christmas Like in Japan?

This year, I celebrated my fourth Christmas since moving to Japan. For a country that has a Buddhist and Shinto rather than a Christian core, I have to admit that they do a fairly good job with the trappings of the...

Is Japan Too Innocent?

Earlier this month, my wife and I decided to watch “Best Artist 2022,” a music special broadcast on Nippon TV (日テレ). It was presumably a compilation of the year’s best songs, but you know kids these days and their music...