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The Possible Impact of NFTs
NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, have appeared throughout the news cycle recently. NFTs use blockchain technology similar to Bitcoin to make a certificate of authenticity for a digital item…
The Fox Brothers and Old Tanuki’s Trick Chapter 3
Mitsu fidgeted with excitement. Father will finally know that I am as good at tricks and illusions as Kitsu. Once he gives me a chance, he will see…
The Gossamer Journal
The Gossamer Journal is the memoir of a woman we know only as Michitsuna’s Mother. Michitsuna is the son she had through her marriage with Fujiwara no Kaneie.…
Poems from the Frontier of Japan
Most people think of Basho and haiku when they think about Japanese poems. Japanese poetry encompasses more than lovely nature images. The word literature conjures, at least for…
Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging
I’ve been writing for JP for 10 years now. Over those years, my writing style has changed. I hope for the better! I’ve also gained more confidence, although…
The Fox Brothers and Old Tanuki’s Trick Chapter 2
Kitsu returned an hour later, carrying a fat plant. He spat it at Mitsu’s feet and licked his chops with a grimace. “Now we just need to make…
The Fisherman and the Moon Maiden
Pearly and lustrous white, like a cloud in the far-off blue sky, seemed the floating figure of the moon maiden, as she flew to earth. She was one…
Tales from Old Japan eBook Available for Pre-order
Tales from Old Japan will be available in three formats: eBook, paperback, and hardback. This is the first time I’ve released a hardback, so I’m rather excited. The eBook…
A Look at Income Inequality in Japan
Income inequality has become a common concern. Income inequality is the gap in income different segments of a population. Economists argue about how much, or even if, income…
What if Anime Wasn’t Japanese?
“What if” questions usually fall into speculation and aren’t that helpful. What if anime wasn’t Japanese? The question likely isn’t that helpful because Japan has stam…
The Fox Brothers and Old Tanuki’s Trick Chapter 1
To celebrate 10 years of blogging I will post a chapter my novella “The Fox Brothers and Old Tanuki’s Trick” on the first Sunday of each month until…
Technical Problems Fixed
After being down for a day, it seems all of JP’s technical difficulties is fixed. I renewed the hosting which happened to bundle a CDN (content distribution network)…
You Won’t Read This Post
Online reading differs from reading on paper. You won’t read much beyond the first paragraph of this article if you follow the usual online reading pattern. In fact,…
The Endings of Japanese Folk Tales
If you read Japanese folklore, you notice how different the endings seem against Western stories. In most Japanese folktales, people die in the end. Happily-ever-after endings stand out…
How to Read Japanese Folktales
Japanese folktales have layers that require some thought to fully understand. Of course, Grimm’s fairy tales and even the Bible require reflection too. Context matters for understanding any…
Eureka Seven: Psalms of Planets Revisit
Eureka Seven was the first article I wrote for JP 10 years ago. The anime originally debuted in 2005-2006, and it was my favorite anime. I enjoy coming-of-age…
JP Turns 10 Years Old
Ten years is rather old for a blog, especially one that happened by accident. While I was aware of anime and watched it on Toonami, I didn’t have…
Looking Back at 2020
It’s time again for my personally indulgent look back on the past year. This is a part of a double post to mark JP’s 10th birthday. Many people…
Yuki, The Snow Woman
In a village of Musashi Province, there lived two woodcutters: Mosaku and Minokichi. At the time of which I am speaking, Mosaku was an old man; and Minokichi,…
Japan’s Sex Industry and the Problem of Sex Slavery
Japan’s sex industry exists because of the narrow definition of prostitution found in the 1956 law that ended licensed prostitution in Japan. Namely, the law defines sex as…
Slavery and Japan
Japan, like nearly all nations. has a history of slavery. Many Western historians in the past believed the concept of freedom was imported to Japan from the West.…
Considering Violent Media and Killing
People have a built-in resistance to killing, but this resistance can be overcome through various methods. During World War II, only 15-20% of American riflemen fired at the…
Male Suicide and the Problem of Workism
Japan has seen a recent increase in male suicides in the wake of the pandemic. In September 2020, 705 working-age men between 20-50 years old killed themselves. This…
Anime is Not Japanese Culture
The other day I stumbled across various YouTube videos of people who felt like they were “becoming Japanese” because of their increasing love for sushi, anime, manga, and…
Love and an Umbrella: Romance Anime and Context
Anime has many romance tropes, such as the symbolism of an umbrella. These tropes came out of the realities of relationships within modern culture. After all, romance is…
The Child of the Thunder
In among the hills of Echizen, within sight of the snowy mountain called Hakuzan, lived a farmer named Bimbo. He was very poor, but frugal and industrious. He…
Server Problems and Writing Update
As you may have noticed, JP was down for few days. My webhost migrated to a new, faster server and broke a bunch of things. I think they…
Kiyohimé or the Power of Love
Kiyohimé was written down around 1887 and contains dated language and spellings. This period brought many stories from Japan to the West. I left the language unchanged; I find…
Kiyohimé or the Power of Love
Kiyohimé was written down around 1887 and contains dated language and spellings. This period brought many stories from Japan to the West. I left the language unchanged; I find…
My Next Life as a Villainess
I watched My Next Life as a Villainess on a whim. I had been deep in my revisiting of various past anime series and needed something new. The…
My Next Life as a Villainess
I watched My Next Life as a Villainess on a whim. I had been deep in my revisiting of various past anime series and needed something new. The…
Download Kanzashi for Free Oct 12-16th
Download Kanzashi from Amazon for free from October 12th – 16th. If you could leave a review (whether you like the book or not!), it would help me out. Happy…
The Three Legends of Lake Biwa
These three stories combine to create a single legend. I kept the original 1918 spellings and grammar. I find them charming and interesting examples of how language can…
The Three Legends of Lake Biwa
These three stories combine to create a single legend. I kept the original 1918 spellings and grammar. I find them charming and interesting examples of how language can…
What Does Tsundoku Mean?
I love books and suffer from a mild case of tsundoku. Tsundoku is the Japanese word for the tendency to buy books and not read them. My books…
What Does Tsundoku Mean?
I love books and suffer from a mild case of tsundoku. Tsundoku is the Japanese word for the tendency to buy books and not read them. My books…
The Loyal, Bear-Hunting Akita
Most cultures have their own breeds of dogs. Dogs have provided us with companionship, protection, and help for thousands of years. Dogs were brought to the islands of…
The Loyal, Bear-Hunting Akita
Most cultures have their own breeds of dogs. Dogs have provided us with companionship, protection, and help for thousands of years. Dogs were brought to the islands of…
Weekend Afternoons with NHK Japan
I grew up on a steady diet of PBS. I’m sad to say that Sesame Street wasn’t a part of my childhood. My PBS time consisted of shows…
Weekend Afternoons with NHK Japan
I grew up on a steady diet of PBS. I’m sad to say that Sesame Street wasn’t a part of my childhood. My PBS time consisted of shows…
The Teen Brain and Anime’s Appeal
Teen brains sit on an important stage of brain development. Adolescence isn’t just a cultural construct; it’s a period of drastic rewiring. I will be using Robert Sapolsky’s…
The Teen Brain and Anime’s Appeal
Teen brains sit on an important stage of brain development. Adolescence isn’t just a cultural construct; it’s a period of drastic rewiring. I will be using Robert Sapolsky’s…
The Gender-Neutral Pronoun: Ichi
As a writer, I pay attention to words. The use of the word they as a gender-neutral singular pronoun has been a debate among my editing and writing…
To Understand Japanese History, Study China
One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are…
To Understand Japanese History, Study China
One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are…
Daikoku and the Oni
A long while ago, when the idols of Buddha and his host of disciples came to Japan, after traveling through China from India, they were very much vexed…
Daikoku and the Oni
A long while ago, when the idols of Buddha and his host of disciples came to Japan, after traveling through China from India, they were very much vexed…
Get “Under the Cherry Blossoms” for Free
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Eating Your Own Tail: Self-Publishing Websites
Are you interested in publishing your own book? Many anime bloggers aspire toward it, but when you start researching, it seems books about self publishing dominate self publishing.…
Eating Your Own Tail: Self-Publishing Websites
Are you interested in publishing your own book? Many anime bloggers aspire toward it, but when you start researching, it seems books about self publishing dominate self publishing.…