Although Sapporo is a relatively symmetrical city, laid out in mathematical blocks like an igo board and rather flat despite being surrounded by mountains, there are some architectural anomalies that have caught my eye since moving here. They aren’t the famous spots like the Tokeidai or the Former Hokkaido Government Office, both well maintained western […]
Many moons ago I wrote of my strange fetish for the Man Cave and how the condensed nature of Japanese life led me to create the next best thing in the form of the Micro-Man Cave, an elaborately arranged series of shelves that represented all that is good and decent in my own “dudeness”. Sadly, […]
You may have noticed that my blog output hasn’t been up to snuff recently. Indeed, kanagawacement is going through a bit of a sea change, quite literally. In the last few days I have seen every possession in our apartment packed into more than 50 boxes, our furniture hauled with ropes down the second story […]
The Kappa is one of the most well known cryptics in Japan and stories of this unverified humanoid-reptilian creature have wound their way throughout Japanese history for centuries. Often interpreted as being a kind of water imp, renderings of the Kappa have ranged from a humanoid-turtle to merman and everything in-between. Most commonly its skin […]
Japan often gets ripped for its astronomical restaurant prices. Sometimes this is unwarranted, more often there is rightful cause. This usually isn’t the case with Japanese foods(soba, ramen,ect), but when it comes to western dishes consumers tend to get the short end of the stick. Amazingly, many Japanese people remain blithely unaware of how long […]
I am not a beer or liquor connoisseur by any means. I can barely distinguish a dark beer from a non-dark, know little about brewing techniques, and care little about where a particular beer comes from. Mostly, I’ll occasionally drink a beer to take the edge off, usually with a meal. So I am not […]
One of the most intriguing things to witness in the Tokyo metroplex is just how little residents utilize balcony space. Most are simply relegated as spaces for hanging laundry, which admittedly, is all there seems to be room for. But laundry isn’t always drying, and it is in those instances when residents should look to […]
For many years I have been an avid collector of 花札 (hanafuda, traditional Japanese flower cards). I first became familiar with this unique card game years ago in South Korea, where the game is still intensely played on a regular basis, even on the sidewalks in more rural areas. When I first began living in […]
It’s no secret that space is tight here in the metroplex. Tight, orderly, clean, and tight. Public and private – everything is tighter than things in the West. It’s basic physics in most respects, and you have to learn to deal with it, or risk a mental breakdown. When I visited by folks in suburban […]
Usually when visiting a particular place that gets raving reviews from critics of contemporary design I am left feeling a bit let down. This is especially the case in Japan, where critics often praise particular locations but neglect to mention just how overwhelming expensive those locals are (Omotosando, Roppongi, Ginza) and the type of clientele […]