Author Archives: Eryk Salvaggio

On Losing Your ID In Japan

The last time I’d seen it, it was 4:59 a.m. I stood in the streets in a robe watching 50 men haul a one-ton shrine through the city on sticks. I sleepwalked home with empty pockets.

Posted in Weird | 2 Comments

On Autumn in Japan

Here, Autumn starts in August, rather than the September Equinox. It’s September now, but the temperatures still hover in the 80s, thunderstorms still threaten my daily sushi pickup, and cicadas still squawk through the trees like tortured squirrels.

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On Being a Total Creep in Japan

The creepiness of men in Japan (homegrown and imported) has become something of a standing joke. The male expats are creepy, and it’s a joke. Japanese men leer on the subway, and it’s a joke. Dance floors in Japan are … Continue reading

Posted in Culture Shock | Tagged , , | 34 Comments

On Getting In With the In Crowd in Japan

The happiest expats in Japan often seem to be, if not the dumbest, then at least the most blithely unaffected by their surroundings.

Posted in Culture Shock | 7 Comments

On Wacky Japan (or: On Pretending to Have Fun in Japan)

Japan would like to be known for its temples, shrines, natural beauty, onsen, kimonos, and amazing food. Instead, it’s mostly known abroad for inscrutable anime and game shows where people are flung naked out of toilets without warning or screaming girls’ … Continue reading

Posted in Culture Shock, Fun, Uncategorized, Weird | 10 Comments

Footnotes on Thailand

The size of the roaches in Chiang Mai actually makes them less intimidating.

Posted in Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments