GREAT NEWS! It was announced that ONE OK ROCK will hold its first online live <ONE OK ROCK 2020 “Field of Wonder” at Stadium Live Streaming> on October 11th. The performance will be broadcast live from ZOZO Marine Stadium to the world at the same time, and an online live performance that can only be expressed by non-audience will be held. Check this out!
Now, the much-anticipated UNIQLO’s AIRism Face Mask debuted in the US. The triple-layer face coverings utilize the Japanese apparel brand’s signature AIRism technology. Will the AIRism masks catch on in the US? On August 22, 2020, UNIQLO released the AIRism face mask at its online and retail stores in America. This is the second generation of the AIRism mask after the first generation received...
Throughout Grand Sumo’s history, Jesse James Wailani Kuhaulua remains the first foreign-born wrestler to have won the top division championship. Known for his impressive stature, the 450lb, 6’3” Hawaiian transitioned from a high school football player to one of Takasago stable’s recruits. In 1964, he made his official debut as “Takamiyama” in Japan’s Grand Sumo ring. For context, professional sumo is divided into two...
There are many music genres in Japan. Some of you may be familiar with City Pop, or Japanese pop music from the 70’s and 80’s, which has become popular outside of Japan in recent years. Tatsuro Yamashita, Mariya Takeuchi, Toshiki Kadomastu, and Anri are all examples of artists from this genre, whose songs have become popular among young people in Europe, America and Asia...
As a combat sport that is unique to Japan, sumo bouts take place in a dohyō – a 15ft-diameter ring made of clay-mixed sand. Each of the two white lines, or shikiri-sen, sits in parallel at 1.2ft away from the center of the circle. At the beginning of each bout, two sumo wrestlers, rikishi, position themselves behind the shikiri-sen. After both wrestlers have clenched...
Legend has it that ninjas date back to 6th century Japan, when poor farmers had to travel as mercenaries to make a living. The most prominent schools – Iga and Koka – were located in the mountainous region near the ancient capital, Kyoto. To escape ongoing civil wars, many samurai and aristocrats passed through these mountains only to be ambushed by Iga and Koka...
When you visit an izakaya next time, make sure to order “Motsunikomi.” Montsunikomi, Japanese tripe stew, is a popular izakaya dish. The recipe calls for innards, a variety of vegetables, konnyaku jelly made from a konjac. The ingredients are cooked in dashi soup stock and seasoned with soy sauce, Japanese sake, etc. Motsunikomi is an irresistible dish for meat-lovers. The tripe is firm and...
Natto is a popular Japanese breakfast food. You’ll find it in many family refrigerators. The nation consumes about 7.7 billion 40-gram packets a year. That’s a lot of natto! Natto is fermented, like cheese, but it’s made from soybeans. Natto is very nutritious. One origin story for natto goes something like this: Back in the 10th century, a samurai on an expedition told local...
All photos courtesy of Thanko Morning Toaster for Single People by Thanko When you live by yourself, cooking can be a hassle. You may just grab a piece of toast on the run and feel hungry well before lunchtime. Thanko’s new toaster for single people solves that. The top of the toaster comes equipped with a pan to cook a fried egg so that...
Handmade Ceramic Grill and Tray with Handle by Kanaami-Tsuji This handmade stainless-steel grill built, with the same methods used by craftspeople in the 10th century, can be used to make a delicious slice of toast! But that’s not what this grill was originally intended for. The Kanaami grill is part of a tradition of Kanaami cooking utensils used to scoop, filter, drain, grill, etc....
