A Love of Japanese Vending Machines
While some Japanese vending machines are under fire for offering sexy good times, the vast, vast majority of vending…
Cooking Rice, Old School
If you live in Japan (or, well, Asia), you have a rice cooker. If you don't own one, get thee to a store and buy one.…
Digging Up Bamboo Shoots. And Then Eating Them.
This week is Golden Week in Japan—a series of holidays. Because it's Golden Week, Japanese game news has pretty much…
A Little Samurai Armor in the Living Room
May 5 is Children's Day. Since my wife and I have, well, children, we get out a set of miniature "yoroi" (armor) so…
Japan's Beer Machine Promises a Perfect Pour
A perfect pour in Japan has just the amount of right amount of head. This beer tap (beer fountain?) tilts the glass,…
It's Back to School Time!
Growing up in Texas, I always looked forward to fall. September was back-to-school time. New pencils. New notebooks.…
Udon or Soba? Fight!
In Japan, you are either an udon person or a soba person. You cannot be both! This is serious Beatles-Stones kinda…
Hanging Out with Naked Folks All Weekend
One of the most popular things to do on vacation in Japan is head to an onsen or "hot springs". They're dotted all over…
The Cherry Blossoms Are Coming!
Soon where I live in Osaka, Japan will be bathed in cherry blossoms. The plum blossoms are blooming, but the cherry…
Why Lunchtime in Japan is Cute Time
It is for little kids. Above is a lunch my eldest son ate late last year. And it was pretty cute!
Mr. Honda. The Comic Book.
So my eldest son, who is 8, loves reading biographies. But most of the biographies he checks out from the library are…
Press This Arcade Button. A Real Person Will Appear.
One of the best things about Japan is the service. The service is generally great. One of the things that makes it so…
If You're Gonna Make Cookies, Make 'Em Cute
Tomorrow is White Day in Japan. I'm supposed to give sweets to women who gave me chocolate on Valentine's Day.
Goodbye Winter Food! It's Been...Delicious
It really feels like spring here in Osaka—finally! Flowers starting to bud, bees buzzing, and birds chirping. But that…
A Plastic Model Wonderland
Holy crap, I love plastic models. I'm not very good at them, but ever since I was a kid, I adored building them. My…
Playing Kinect on Panasonic's 103-Inch Television
Panasonic makes a 103-inch TV—it's apparently the biggest plasma in the world. It's on display at electronics shops…
Japan's Doll Festival with Little Kids
Tomorrow is the Hinamatsuri, or Japanese Doll Festival. During the festival, dolls are displayed on stands against gold…
This Was Lunch
No, you are not reading Hideo Kojima's Twitter (though, I think it's silly that guy gets heat for posting pics of his…
Well Designed Tongue Cleaners
I've actually never thought that I needed an instrument to clean my tongue. I thought regular tooth brushing (and…
This Fruit Costs Twelve Bucks. Just This.
In Japan, "omimai" (お見舞い) is when you visit folks in the hospital. My mother-in-law broke her back, so we've been…