Erwin Miyasaka

Like this post? Help us by sharing it! While the tranquil, quiet mountain valley of Hakuba is popular with hikers and nature enthusiasts all year round, in December it tranforms into a world-class ski destination. Best Hakuba resorts Hakuba first gained international recognition as host of the 1998 Winter Olympics and has since developed into […] The post The Ultimate Guide to Skiing in Hakuba appeared first on InsideJapan Blog . Ver fuente

Like this post? Help us by sharing it! In the latest issue of east magazine, British comedian, television presenter, novelist, and playwright, David Baddiel gave us the lowdown on his family trip to Japan. Download east magazine online, or subscribe to receive it to your door twice a year for free! east meets David Baddiel 1. We’ll kick off with […] The post Interview: David Baddiel on Japan appeared first on InsideJapan Blog . Ver fuente

Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Fukuoka, the largest city on the southern island of Kyushu, is famous for its food. From the freshest seafood to grilled mochi, this is where the Japanese go to eat. After living for almost 4 years in Fukuoka (and picking the brains of our Fukuoka-based tour leader, […] The post Top 5 foodie experiences in Fukuoka appeared first on InsideJapan Blog . Ver fuente

The subtitle to this article tells you most of what you need to know: Christobel Hasting, “How Onna-Bugeisha, Feudal Japan’s Women Samurai, Were Erased From History: While most Japanese women were subject to rigid social expectations of domesticity, onna-bugeisha women warriors who were known to be to be every bit as strong, capable, and courageous as their male counterparts” https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/a383aj/female-samurai-onna-bugeisha-japan My reaction when I saw this on twitter was “Oh, no, Stephen Turnbull has another book. Massive conflation of eras and classes (Tokugawa-era samurai women described as ‘protecting their villages’!), uncritical use of sources (Tomoe Gozen, of Heike monogatari fame, of course), emergency measures as norms, etc.” Obviously, I can’t tell until I see the book itself how many of these errors are built into the book and how many of them are the fault of the article-writer (It’s not a review, so much as an uncritical rehash). But I’ve ...

The anime version of this decades old property is ubiquitous, the big-budget movie was a hit in 2004, but we're no longer able to protect you all from the horrors of the largely forgotten late 60s live action kids TV series. You've been warned... Ver fuente

Like this post? Help us by sharing it! In Japan it’s not uncommon to visit maid cafés as a way to wind down after a long day. But where did this fascination start, and is it as sinister as it could seem? Marky Hobold investigates. Maids in Japan This may sound like a weird question […] The post Maids in Japan: From geisha to kawaii culture appeared first on InsideJapan Blog . Ver fuente

According to the article recommend by Erwin Miyasaka, there is a new book out, though sadly only in Japanese so far, about Chinese Anti-Japanese films . There are countless Sino-Japanese war movies and TV shows, and their absurdity has been noted by both Chinese netizens and the government for some time. I was struck by how the Japanese author was attracted to the films specifically for their absurd action, regardless of any supposed anti-Japanese content. He recalled the “Nikkatsu Roman Porno” format in 1970s Japan, in which directors could make any kind of experimental movie, as long as there were naked female characters to boost box office earnings. “Some famous directors directed Nikkatsu Roman Porno movies when they were young,” he said. “That’s why I am rooting for those who write shit scripts now – they may become great creators in the future.” It strikes me as being similar to some of the reasons Americans might have watched Kung fu movies in the old days. Plus there are ...