I am a bit behind the times with this article. Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha came out in 1997, with a movie of the same name back in 2005. I recently read the autobiography of the woman Memoirs was based upon, Mineko Iwasaki. In her book, Geisha, a Life, Iwasaki paints a very different…
Year: 2015
Retired Husband Syndrome
It afflicts women in their 50s and 60s. It moves into their homes and makes demands on time, autonomy, and every aspect of daily life. The retired husband. Japanese women of the baby boomer generation struggle with Retired Husband Syndrome (shujin zaitaku sutoresu skokogun). This syndrome is characterized by common symptoms caused by the added…
Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt
There are a lot of ghouls, ghosts, and other nasty critters spooking around Japan. From bathrooms to cemeteries to the deep woods and everywhere in between, a traveler can find themselves running afoul of the worst beasties Japan has to offer at any time. What’s a tourist to do? Well, they could do far worst…
Samurai Baseball: A Look at the History of Japanese Baseball
“…there will never be a war with Japan.” –Connie Mack “…hope every Jap that mentions my name gets shot – and to hell with all Japs anyway.” — Babe Ruth In 1853, Admiral Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open to the United States. Just 20 years later, baseball crossed the Pacific. Japan has not…
Kuchisake-onna–The Slit-Mouthed Woman
A recurring theme on this blog is that Japan is a land haunted by all sorts of weird ghosts and goblins. From gigantic blood sucking skeletons to flying heads in flaming ox-cart wheels, Japan’s rogues gallery is one of the most unique in the world. Even its more plausible boogeymen have an eerie quality to…
47 Ronin
John Allyn’s version of Japan’s classic story shows some of its age. Originally published in 1970, Allyn’s writing has some jarring elements common to books published at that time. Modern readers are used to seeing through the eyes of a single character with chapters or scene breaks marking a change of viewpoint. 47 Ronin jumps…