Drinking In Japan – Tachinomi

Yesterday, we spoke of the classical Japanese gastropub, the "izakaya".  Today, we'll talk about its modern, compact cousin, the Tachinomi... A standing-room-only bar. What was once considered a slummy holdover from Japan's post-war reconstruction era, is receiving a "quirky" and "stylish" resurgence of popularity.  Real estate is valuable in Japanese cities, and the country's people …

Drinking In Japan – Izakaya

I've been into the habit of posting on every day but Tuesday and Thursday, but this week I've decided to make a post every day.  I'm kicking off the week-long series on Drinking In Japan with the most classic of Japanese watering holes, the "izakaya". This classic, casual gastropub is the Japanese equivalent of pubs in …

Love Hotels

Many traditional Japanese sliding doors do not lock.  It is common for a Japanese couple to bring their elderly in laws into their home to care for them.  The size of the average Japanese home is 1,300 sq ft.  It is no wonder that Japanese couples would need to look outside the home in order …

Storage and “Trunk Rooms”

Where I live in Florida, it feels like I'm surrounded by storage facilities of one kind or another.  U-Haul, U-Stor, Uncle Bob's Self Storage, Life Storage, CubeSmart, Atlantic Self Storage, iStorage... There are even services that will drop off a metal shipping container in your driveway, let you load them at your leisure, then pick …

Yubitsume – Finger Cutting

Photo By Nesnad - Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53953864 One trait of yakuza that is frequently showcased in movies and other media, is the act of cutting off a fingertip to repent for a wrongdoing.  This practice is called "yubitsume", or "finger shortening". The supposed roots of yubitsume trace back to era of itinerant gamblers called "bakuto", …

Kimono, Fashion & Tradition

Kimono, the traditional clothing of Japan, plays a subtle but important role in Golden Week.  Though kimono are seldom worn by most women in Japan, in my book they are the common garments of the 'neighborhood watch'-like Meguro Women's Association.  One main character, Saori, wears kimono exclusively. “Not terribly,” she replied, “When you wear a …

Tokko – The Thought Police

In 1908, a political rally called "The Red Flag Incident" took place in Japan, when a political activist and anarchist by the name of Yamaguchi Koken was released from prison.  Crowds of activists celebrated his release by singing communist songs, and waving red flags bearing phrases like "Revolution" and "Anarcho-Communism".  The Japanese police attacked and suppressed …

Irezumi – Japanese Tattoos

Photo By Jorge from Tokyo, Japan (Nothing to hide) [ CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) ], via Wikimedia Commons One of the most iconic parts of a yakuza (besides flashy suits and missing pinky fingers) are their tattoos.  Irezumi is a traditional form of Japanese tattooing.  For all of the beautiful colors and woodblock-print-style artwork, tattoos became associated …

Methamphetamines – Japan’s Drug Of Choice

Photo By Radspunk - Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3475149 Japan has extremely strict laws against growing, manufacturing, possessing, or using and kind of illegal drugs.  Professional athletes have seen their soaring careers come to abrupt ends for being found smoking a joint.  One might wonder, then, why would anyone in Japan take the risk?  It might be …

What’s In A Name?

Fun Fact: Uchiyama Saikou, the protagonist of the book, is heavily based on an original character designed by my husband.  While he and I still debate who writes Saikou better (he says I do, I say he does), something has come to my attention... "Saikou" is a bit of an odd sounding name, don't you …