The current unpleasantness, through no fault of my healthy and vaccinated self, had us locked down again so all travel plans were canceled for a spell. On the upside a graphic novel I’ve waited months for has come out so…
Imon-bukuro: The Little Comforts of Home in a Bag
A uniquely Japanese item from World War II was the imon-bukuro (慰問袋), or comfort bag. Similar to modern day care packages, they were hand-assembled packages of comfort items for the troops sent by their supportive home front from the youngest…
Return to Aquatope on White Sand’s Gama Gama!
This is a follow up to my first visit to the real life location of Aquatope on White Sand, Chinen-son (Chinen Village). Click here to read that article. The first half of Aquatope on White Sand primarily took place in…
The Titan of Sasebo
One of the things I miss about living in Sasebo is being surrounded by the historic and still used remains of a century old naval arsenal. In the majestic herd of towering cranes that rise over ancient red brick warehouses…
Ringing in the New Year at Sasebo’s Kameyama Hachiman-gu Shrine
I was a few days late for it, but I went to Sasebo for my first takoyaki of the year! Oh, and I also made my first shrine visit of the year too. Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the…
Take Me Home, Kyushu Roads: Seeing Japan’s Coal Country
In 1469 a Kyushu farmer made a bonfire in the wilderness which to his surprise set a black rock on fire. Centuries later, what started as a happy accident would go on to play a starring role in a critical…
Itokazu’s Cave and Castle
Abuchiragama and it’s wartime history was covered more in-depth here; this article was written for Stripes Japan and a more general audience. Southern Okinawa is a natural and cultural hotbed, with something for everyone. There are sacred sites, battlefield memorials,…
Keibin: Remembering Okinawa’s Light Railway at Yonabaru
One of Okinawa’s distinct features that sets it apart from mainland Japan is its lack of a railway system, not counting the tourist-centric monorail between the airport and Kokusai-dori. But that wasn’t always the case and for three decades railways,…
A Hill by Any Other Name: Nakagusuku’s Pinnacle (161.8 Kouchi Jinchi)
In Nakagusuku village there’s a rather ordinary forested hill that’s been known by many names. The old Okinawans of Nakagusuku Village called it “Kishimaki-no-taki,” a sacred site of prayer. To the Imperial Japanese Army it was “161.8 Kouchi Jinchi,” a…
Historic Birthdays: Emperor Meiji (1852)
Today is the birthday of Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji, who was born this day in 1852. As emperor he and his government would oversee Japan’s transformation from a feudal to a modern state. His birthplace was this unassuming little house on…