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The Myth of Japanese Indirectness and “Subtlety”

[ad_1] It has a bad reputation (mainly because it’s…bad), but I like Japanese drama. As I’ve said before, it’s a great way to gauge cultural trends and what’s weighing on people’s minds. It’s also a raucous display of bad behavior. Japanese workaday life can be stressful. And that comes out (admittedly, in an exaggerated format) …

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Remembering Onishi Yuki, Founder of the First Michelin-starred Ramen Shop

[ad_1] Onishi Yuki, founder, owner, and chef of Tsuta Japan (also known as Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles), the first ramen shop to receive a Michelin star, has died at the age of 43. On September 23rd, the restaurant broke the news of Onishi’s passing. The official Tsuta Instagram and Twitter accounts also posted a notice …

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Harris condemns Chinese actions in speech at U.S. Navy base

[ad_1] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris condemned “disturbing” actions by China in remarks to American sailors based in Japan, days after the administration pledged U.S. forces would help defend Taiwan if it were attacked. “China is undermining key elements of the international rules-based order,” Harris said in prepared remarks during a visit to the largest …

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In Japan, It’s Hard for Foreign Residents to Get Help

[ad_1] A popular Japanese right-wing meme on social media holds that foreigners are bleeding Japan dry. Is that true? A series of articles citing actual data show that the reality for foreigners living in Japan is far different than right-wingers suggest. In fact, many foreign workers and residents can’t get support even when they desperately …

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Haskap: Hokkaido’s Unique and Scrumptious Winter Berry

[ad_1] Hokkaido, Japan’s largest and most northern prefecture, is known for its agriculture. One crop in particular is gaining increased attention in recent years: the haskap. Japan’s large northern island produces much of Japan’s milk and eggs. Crops grown in its sprawling fields include wheat, potatoes, sweet corn, pumpkins, soybeans, azuki beans, and many more. …

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Review: Poetry and Prose Dance in Ito Hiromi’s The Thorn Puller

[ad_1] How can one be fully present for two families in two countries with two different cultural and social expectations? That’s one of the questions prolific writer Ito Hiromi asks in her semi-autobiographical book The Thorn Puller, masterfully translated by Jeffrey Angles. Her first novel to appear in English, The Thorn Puller follows a woman …

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