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Author Archives: owwls
Carbonated Cough Drops: Reviewing Japan’s “Menthol Shock” Soda
Today at the conbini I stumbled across a new benchmark in Japanese Soda Pop: “Menthol Shock,” released nationwide in June. About these ads
Posted in Food, Weird
7 Comments
On Not Walking While Drinking Soda in Japan
Why doesn’t anyone in Japan drink soda while walking? Google results are unsatisfactory. Is it considered rude? Dangerous? Had it never occurred to anyone that they could drink while walking? Japanese friends answer with a shrug. “We just don’t, I … Continue reading
Posted in Culture Shock, Food, Uncategorized, Weird
10 Comments
J-Cin Sundays: Suicide Club
Title: Suicide Club (自殺サークル, literally, “Suicide Circle”) Director: Sion Sono Year: 2002 Notes: This review contains spoilers. And it’s a cult cinema comedy-horror film by an avant-garde street poet, so assume all videos are disturbing – except for the Rebecca Black video. Or, maybe that … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
2 Comments
On Kappa
It takes time for new places to seep into my dreams. When I’ve left a place, my dreams take me back instead of forward. Places go first – the familiar coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores stop serving as backdrops. People … Continue reading
Posted in Tradition, Uncategorized, Video, Weird
5 Comments
On Walking On Fire in Japan
The most difficult part of walking on burning coals during a typhoon was finding the right train.
Posted in Shinto, Shrines, Thinking, Tradition, Uncategorized, Video, Zen
Tagged dazaifu, fire walking, shinto, shrines
2 Comments
On Watching a Baseball Game in Japan
American baseball spills beyond pastime and into national ritual, with more performances of the national anthem than the most fervent political race. But baseball in Japan strips the bleachers of their red, white and blue flare and keeps it firmly in … Continue reading
Posted in Fun, Uncategorized
9 Comments
