On my winter 2023 trip to Japan, I happened to do a good deal involving trains and train accessories. This is Part 1 of my experience, focused on the Railway Museum in Omiya, Saitama. The Railway M…
Feb 18, 2024 • Subscribe
More like this
Instant Curry from the Japan Railway Museum
When I visited Japan’s Railway Museum last year, I wasn’t able to eat at the museum itself. However, I did stop by the gift shop, where they were…
Christmas, Nostalgia, and Shinkalion
It’s not uncommon for children’s cartoons to offer something to the parents watching with their kids, yet when it came to Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion: THE ANIMATION, I…
Yasukuni Shrine, the Yushukan Military Museum, and Japan’s Place in the World
The post Yasukuni Shrine, the Yushukan Military Museum, and Japan’s Place in the World appeared first on The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus.
Shinkalion Z, Ooishi Misaki, and Fat Positivity
Attractive portrayals of fat girls are a real rarity in anime and manga, and when they do exist, they tend to have something of a fetish quality (see:…
Review: Railway Heroes (2021)
Railway Heroes 铁道英雄 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 122 mins. Director: Yang Feng 杨枫. Rating: 8/10. Crackerjack wartime resistance movie is a cut above the rest, made with a…
Super Robot Wars 30, Shinkalion, and Pioneering DLC
The developers of Super Robot Wars 30 have announced a final expansion pack that brings many surprises, the biggest of which are new DLC units. Scopedog, Scopedog TC…
Pick of the Week: BL, Shamisen, and Railway Stations
KATE: I only have eyes for one series this week: BL Metamorphosis, a series that’s rueful, funny, and heart-warming without ever being sappy. One of the things I…
Let’s Talk Evangelion in Shinkalion Z
It’s incredibly strange to go from the finality of the fourth Rebuild of Evangelion movie to seeing Shinji and Gendo characters show up in Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion…
Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion, Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Z
Look Both Ways! Railway Crossing Warrior Shadan
During the gunpla boom of the early ’80s, giant robots were everywhere… even safety campaigns for kids. Meet Japan National Railways’ Gundam doppelganger, Railway Crossing Warrior…
Tezuka Museum Tourism Video
The Hyogo Tourism Association and the Let's JAPAN Channel have put together this video look into the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takaraz...
‘Tokyo: Art and Photography’ at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
29 July 2021 – 3 January 2022 Ahhh… Edo, Edo, Edo… …city of dreams, and occasional nightmares… …as Kumagai Jiro Naozane in the final part of the Kabuki…
Anime Review 241 Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Z
I loved the original Shinkalion series. It was one of the few kid’s shows that surprised and impressed me on an entertaining and fundamental level. It didn’t feel…
Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion, Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Z
Keep Chugging Along: Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Z
I never got the chance to watch all of the first Shinkalion anime. I discovered it a little late, and the way episodes would be up on Youtube…
Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Z, Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion
The Kojiki and Japan’s Earliest Literature
Kobayashi Eitaku, Izanagi and Izanami, c. 1885Via Wikimedia Check out the Read Japanese Literature podcast. Episode 1: The Kojiki—Gods having sex, founding of the imperial dynasty, and some of…
Sailor Moon Museum 2024 Tour
✦ Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Museum ✦ In celebration of Sailor Moon’s 30th anniversary, the...
The Brand New Tsushima Museum
Tsushima 対馬 is a really interesting place. Halfway between Korea and Japan, it was ruled for hundreds of years by the Sо̄ samurai house 宗家, retainers to the…
Visiting the Sailor Moon Museum
Travelouge with me to the magical land of Namba Station in Osaka and let us geek out over plastic transformation items and merchandise. Edited by Savior44 on Discord
A Trip to Nara’s Kingyo Museum and Kyoto’s Sakura Parks
Nara Kingyo Museum: The Japanese Aquarium Disco Experience Continuing on from my last article detailing my lovely stay in Nara Park with the wild deer, this article will…
Bill Gates and the Revival of the Meguro Parasitological Museum
A unique museum in Tokyo's Meguro ward that has been struggling to stay afloat got a boost in the arm from a surprise visitor.
Evangelion, alienation, and Japan’s 1990s economic crisis
In a time wracked by despair, paranoia, and economic devastation, Evangelion captured the nihilistic zeitgeist of a nation and its citizenry.
Anime and Poison: Japan’s love of Strawberries!
Why does poison have to taste so good? I still remember the day I tasted the most delicious poison in the world. I was still in preschool and…
Sexism and Culture: Japan’s Obsession With Kawaii
Where did the word "kawaii" come from, and is the sexism that can come with cuteness really all that innocent?
A Railway on Mt. Fuji?! Why Critics Are Crying Foul
Mt. Fuji may lose its World Heritage status if it can't control overtourism. But one proposed solution - a railway - has critics up in arms.
Plastic Models as Art: Touring Kaiyodo's Headquarters and Hobby Land Museum
On its 60th anniversary, Kaiyodo's slogan remains the same: to spread the joy of making plastic models to everyone.
ANU Museum of the Jewish People
I don’t even know how to talk about this post-Oct 7. But, this has been sitting in my notes, in my drafts, since June 2023, well before Oct…
Sailor Moon Museum: Osaka Exhibit Cafe
✦ Sailor Moon Museum Cafe Details ✦ The #702 CAFE & DINER at the newly...
Anime Review 166 Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Movie Alfi-X
I love Shinkalion. It was one of a kind kid series that was different from your usual kid’s show. It had a well constructed plot that’s filled with…
Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion, Joker, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Pachi-slot and Japan’s 20+Year Casino Fight
In 2019, pachinko made ￥21 trillion. That was 3.7% of Japan’s GDP for that year (Higuchi, 2020). Historically, pachinko, when combined with Japan’s lottery and legal sports betting,…
On Azabudai Hills and Japan’s New Tallest Building
The major Azabudai Hills development, home to Japan's new tallest building, opened late last year. What's it like - and what does it mean for Tokyo?
Japan’s Best-Paying Hourly Jobs? Costco and IKEA
Real wages in Japan have remained pathetically low for several decades. Unless, that is, you work at Costco or IKEA.
Flesh, Metal, and Bone: A Visit to the H. R. Giger Museum
Not to travel blog, but
A Road Trip to Aomori: Visiting the Nebuta Museum and Hirosaki Castle
A Perfect Aesthetic Moment: Sakura petals illuminated under the gates of Hirosaki Caste. Last weekend I went on a roadtrip to one of my dream destinations during the…
Doki Doki News: Ghibli Museum Digital Tours, July SNAFU, and FF7R-2?
Welcome to Doki Doki News, your source for updates in the world of anime, gaming, and otakudom, for the week of May 3rd through 9th! Check out latest…
Japan’s Deadliest Animal
When summer nears, Japan’s most dangerous animal starts appearing in many places. We are not talking about bears, who roam Hokkaido and the northern part of Honshu. We…
Future Boy Conan at the Ghibli Museum
By Andrew Osmond. For all fans of Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, we’d like to remind you that Miyazaki’s first anime, the adventure series Future Boy Conan, is available…
Sentinel Announces Joseph Joestar FIGURE MUSEUM Figure
Sentinel's new Battle Tendency FIGURE MUSEUM based on Joseph Joestar portrays his resolve against Wamuu. Releases in December 2024.
Episode 19 - Sherri Kajiwara (Nikkei National Museum)
In this episode, Sherri Kajiwara uncovers the roots of Japanese immigration to Canada and the deracination of the Japanese-Canadian population from British Columbia in 1942. We discuss the…
Gaza Photo exhibit at Ritsumeikan Peace Museum
The Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University, recently hosted an exhibition on Gaza. Sadly, ironically for a Peace Museum, I think the exhibit did little to counteract…
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Museum 2024 Tour
✦ Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Museum ✦ Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Sailor Moon, the...
Pretty Guardians: Sailor Moon Museum goods release
Some of the original goods sold at the Sailor Moon Museum (now closed) will be...
Travel log: Godzilla at the Museum (Nagoya)
Amanda wasn’t able to make it to G-Fest this year, so she did the next best thing: Went to check out the “Godzilla at the Museum” exhibit in…
Lecture Series - Sherri Kajiwara (Nikkei National Museum)
In this lecture, Sherri Kajiwara (Nikkei National Museum) traces the history of Japanese immigration to Canada and introduces several exhibits concerning the lived experiences of Japanese-Canadian internment and…
Devotion to Railway (大いなる驀進, Hideo Sekigawa, 1960)
An improbable series of crises descend on an ordinary night journey from Tokyo to Nagasaki in Hideo Sekigawa’s train-bound ensemble drama
Pandemic highlights Japan’s historical lack of leadership and management
By Chihiro Kai "My evaluation of the Japanese COVID measures is that they are purely optimism based with no evidence, no grounds, as well as with very much…
Society Without Honor And Humanity: Japan’s 1970s Yakuza Films
Kinji Fukasaku’s 1970s gangster movies upended decades of depictions of the yakuza and held up a mirror to Japanese society at the same time.
Japan’s Northernmost City Gets Its 2nd and 3rd Combinis
The city of Wakkanai in Hokkaido used to have only one convenience store. The next one was 100km off. That all changed this week.
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…
Japan’s Worst Tourist Traps and Where to Go Instead
Some of the most famous destinations in Japan aren’t as great as advertised, but a better option might be just around the corner.
Japan’s Pioneering Women Doctors: Ogino Ginko and Kusumoto Ine
Who was Japan's first female doctor of Western medicine? Both Ogino Ginko and Kusumoto Ine can validly lay claim to that title.