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Last updated: October 18, 2006
 
Feature
An Idea of Freedom
By Daren Epstein
 
sake bar
Photo by Daren Epstein

Harajuku is an idea. Certainly it is the neighborhood in Tokyo in which to be young and to be seen, but like all things or places or people in Japan, below the surface lies more.

On Sunday afternoons on a bridge adjacent to Harajuku Station on the Yamanote line, young people gather in groups to expose to each other to their home-made or store-bought finery, seeking refuge in companionship and in a place away from the constrictions of home and parents.

The costumes they make or purchase can be anything from ornate antique traditional Japanese clothing, to an all-vinyl suit containing running electrical wires giving the impression that the wearer is some sort of robotic creature. Some costumes represent characters from Japanese manga (comics), anime, or costume play while others are the product of the wearer’s imagination.


 

Have you meant your pictures lately?It's said that a picture tells 1000 words. While I have never been a keen fan of photography, as either the subject or the picture taker, it is only recently that I have come...

Life and Arts
Sake 101: How to enjoy Japan’s national drink
 

sake101Living in Japan provides a foreign traveler or resident an opportunity to experience one of the great alcoholic beverages of the world. The stuff of myth, legend and misunderstanding, Japan’s national drink, sake, can be enjoyed here like no other place on earth.
However, in order to maximize one’s enjoyment of the sake experience, one must be familiar with a few basic ...

Essay
Talking and Eating out of Both Sides of the Mouth
 
Japanese love the underdog, and there’s no bigger underdog to love than the country itself. This year Japan’s achievements on the world sports stage have given folks a lot to celebrate, from Shizuka Arakawa’s figure skating gold medal in Torino this past February...
Interview
City Transplants & their ‘Domino Hearts’
 
A woman tells the story of how her husband died. She nurtures a glass of red wine and occasionally leans on a bottle of pills. She seems to be trying to purge herself of the guilt ...
Sport
Maybe Next Time!
 
Maybe next time!When was the last time that I stayed up until the crack of dawn to watch my adopted country's soccer team try and beat the odds...
Opinion
A Genki Rant
 

A genki rantLet me give this another shot.  The Japanese world - intimidating to your average foreigner.  Most of us come over here with little-to-no idea of what is in store.  All we have is a company name, a city, a contact.

Photo Essay

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underclass
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Yoyogi park
by Anice Wong
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Essay
A BUDDHIST FUNERAL THROUGH A FOREGNER'S EYES
 
My mother-in-law’s eighty-three year old uncle died yesterday, and now, at seven in the evening, we’re attending what is basically a prayer service before the funeral proper takes place tomorrow.
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Tourism
Tourism or trespassing?
Tokyo is quite unlike other cities in structural scope. It is initially aesthetically comforting, but the subtle, unwritten rules of the streets and buildings lead to some confusion and embarrassing situations.
Tourism
Honouring the Iron Phallus
At first, it seemed just like any other Japanese festival: under the blossoming cherry trees, brightly-decorated stalls offered yakitori (chicken skewers), yakisoba (fried noodles), ...
Essay
The hospital stay
When I was offered a job in Japan, I immediately began preparing: dividing my possessions into "stuff to store" ...
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