Haiku is a traditional Japanese poem consisting of three lines and 17 syllables. Unlike Western poetry, haiku rarely rhymes. This poetry conveys layers of meaning by using natural imagery. Zen Buddhism appears throughout haiku, and a specific branch of poetry, called jisei, or death poem, were written just before the writer died in battle or…
Category: Culture
1800s Japanese Photography: Windows to the Past
Photographs are everywhere. Every cell phone has a camera stuffed into it. Selfies and photos in general are so ubiquitous that they often lack impact. Even the most stunning photos make us shrug and click on to the next website. But if we stop and consider photos, they are a marvel. Photography captures a moment…
Japanese Love for Vending Machines: A Brief History
You probably expect me to talk about Japan’s infamous panty vending machines. Alright, alright. I will, but there is more to the story. Did you know vending machines were once considered a threat to Japanese tradition? Do you know why Japan historically has the densest concentration of vending machines in the world? Beyond panties and…
Oshibori: More than a Hand Towel
Japan has a long history of puppets. In the last 70 years, a new type of puppet has appeared, made from chopsticks and oshibori. Oshibori are damp hand towels given to guests at restaurants. The towels are used to clean hands and in Kitakyushu, entertain businessmen. Going out for drinks after work with colleagues is a part…
The World’s First Novel: The Tale of Genji
Back in the 11th century, a Japanese woman wrote the world’s first modern novel. The novel remained unknown in the West until after the Meiji Restoration and the rise of modernism in literature. In 1925, Arthur Waley’s translation of the work released, shocking novelists of the time (Phillips, 2010). The Tale of Genji stands as…
US Clown Scare, Ghost in the Shell’s Laughing Man Incident?
You may have heard on the news (do people still watch the news?) about murderous clowns rampaging across the US. Okay, not really rampaging, but people are genuinely scared. These clowns are reportedly terrorizing and assaulting people. Actually, there’ve been few assaults, but fear beats reason most of the time. In any case, this clown…