Cheese tastes great in a wide variety of foods. But did you know it also works with immigration policies? Well, it does, thanks to that modern Japanese preparation known as “cheese-in” (チーズイン). You might think...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
They say that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. In Japan, another thing you can be sure of is that those two will come with a lot of paperwork. And not just those two big life changes. Whether it’s...
A few nights ago, my wife suddenly grabbed her stomach in pain. “Ouch,” she said. It was a very loud and long-lasting “ouch,” and as this had happened earlier in the week as well, we thought it best to have a doctor...
Tim Odagiri
