Steeped in a long history and plenty of mystery, the Samurai 侍 have been a cornerstone of Japanese mythology since 794 AD (Heian Period). Having fought their way into popular culture worldwide, this Japanese cultural and historical export is now as recognisable as Sushi and Pokemon, and is even responsible for inspiring many costumes and story elements in Star Wars. So … [Read more...] about 6 Things Everybody Gets Wrong About Samurai
Culture
The Town That Banned Cucumbers
I remember being a kid and having an adversity to cucumbers. Had I known about Adose-Cho (網戸瀬町) in Fukui, I would’ve immediately moved there. You see, this entire town has outlawed growing, and subsequently eating the innocent little Cucumber. Whence does this dislike of Cucumbers come from? Read on and find out what the townspeople have against the usually quite healthy and … [Read more...] about The Town That Banned Cucumbers
Rice Riots
By almost any metric you choose to measure it, modern Japan is a peaceful society. Its rigid adherence to law and order is one of the first things visitors notice. The low crime rates are the envy of many nations. While civil unrest swept the United States over the last year, the constant refrain I heard from Japanese people was, “That could never happen in Japan.” In this haze … [Read more...] about Rice Riots
Beer, Happoshu and “The Third Beer”
Several weeks ago when a friend came to visit, we decided to go to the convenience store to pick up a few beers. Being a bit of a beer fan, she was familiar with names like Asahi, and Sapporo and was anxious to try new things, but she was not ready for the giant wall of beers that faced her when she opened that refrigerated door. We’ve probably all been there. Faced with so … [Read more...] about Beer, Happoshu and “The Third Beer”
How to refer to your spouse in Japanese
What you call your spouse in private is your own business, but how you refer to them in public can be a more complicated issue, especially when speaking in Japanese. In English one might casually refer to their wife as the missus, the old lady, the ball n’ chain, my better half, or wifey, but all of these are euphemisms. In plain discourse, English keeps it simple with only two … [Read more...] about How to refer to your spouse in Japanese