Consider the humble katana sword. If you are a fan of jidai geki historical dramas, you understand the kind of damage these weapons can inflict in the hands of a skilled samurai. By the nineteenth century, the katana...
Author - Tim Patrick
Tim Patrick
What is Japan’s Endgame for Masks?
As we approach the fourth year of this *!&$# pandemic, it’s a good time to start asking how we are going to get out of it. The vaccines and medicines, while a step in the right direction, haven’t cured us yet. I still...
Nominate Japan’s English Word of the Year
The modern Japanese language includes more and more words imported from English and other language families. And now you have a chance to nominate one of them as the official English word for Japan for 2022. The contest...
Is Japan Too Trusting?
Japan is famously known as one of the safest countries on earth. Nobody gives a second thought to walking alone early in the morning or late at night, whether man, woman, or youngster. I read about an experiment a few...
Volunteering and Fundraising in Japan
Life in a first-world country is often filled with consumption and other trappings of materialism. It is especially difficult to get away from it in the Tokyo-metro area, what with all major train stations built around...
What a Car Accident is Like in Japan
There are many ways to research car accidents in Japan. The method I chose was experience one first-hand. It happened just over a week ago, when another vehicle struck the back of my car. I’m fine; thanks for asking. In...
What Should Japan Do About North Korea?
Earlier this week, North Korea launched a series of ballistic missiles, including one that sailed high over Aomori Prefecture, at the north end of Japan’s main island of Honshu. I visited Aomori just last week. It’s a...
The Normal Japanese Life
The first time I flew into Japan, my initial thought as I looked out the jumbo jet window was, “Wow, the roofs are all so blue.” This was back in 1991, and the flight path to Narita passed over homes that were topped...
Is It Safe to Walk in Japan?
Japan is famously one of the safest countries in the world in regard to routine crimes. Whether you are strolling by yourself late at night through the heart of Tokyo or repeatedly forgetting your sizeable wallet on...
The Coffee Shop Experience in Japan
I lived for a time in Seattle, where you can’t throw a rock without hitting a software company or coffee shop. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time typing on my laptop with Frappuccino blenders echoing in my ears. Here...
