“Few countries are that civilized when it comes to holding a beer in your hands."    Below is an index to Part Two of my “Notes from Under the Tatami Mats.”   (It comprises 37 individual

During my final months there, I kept thinking ... “Wow! I’m in Japan. This is so cool.”  And that was after I had already spent 17 years in the country. Indeed ... “Wow.”    Below is an

In a sense,  “tatemae” allows certain psychopaths to get away with murder. As I had mentioned way back in Note from Under the Tatami Mat #1, I did not have any real reason for staying in Japan.

The best laid plans of mice and men . . . As the old adage goes, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” In other words, I never made it to those top 2 destinations. Sigh.    After

Cycling along the coast and through the countryside, we saw much more of Japan than most people ever see – more even than many Japanese see. Through a blinding, alcohol-induced haze This may not actually

Hey, Mr DogKeeper! … or … Hey, Mr Second-Floor Hall! Kurosawa, 黒澤, translates to “Black Swamp.”    Nikaido, 二階堂, translates to “2nd-Floor Hall.”    Inukai, 犬飼, translates to “Dog Keeper.”

Suddenly, her name took on an agreeable ring. And it still sounds wonderful. All those “U’s” As with many strange aspects of Japanese life and culture, these kinds of names seemed weird at first. Eventually,

The sound of the tide. ... Ooh, la la! Urara What you hear is what you get. ‘Nuff said.  Shione (The Sound of the Tide) I can still hear a faint echo of that wonderful and soothing sound.

The name   “Mr. Rear Tire” sounded suitably absurd. And most people smiled in approval when they heard it. Mr Rear Tire In Japanese, my last name is pronounced “Koorin.”  If I were to pick Chinese

She came up with this appropriate nickname by blending my real name with the Japanese word meaning   “old man.” For some reason, various people in Japan tried to peg me with a number of interesting

Spelling words or names in a foreign language is a lot tougher than you might think. Those above misspellings are weird. Very weird.   Mistakes are inevitable But taken in perspective, these mistakes

The Japanese have taken the art of bathing to a whole new level; transcendence. Years ago, most Japanese homes did not have any bathing facilities, let alone a bathtub or a shower. When people needed to

A truly delightful and agreeable aspect of Japanese life. The art of bathing … naked, outdoors, in the snow Check out my previous post, re The Art of Bathing ("Top 3 Fields in Which the Japanese Have Achieved

Even in parks where our camping was illegal, people smiled and waved, and made us feel welcome. Set up camp … anywhere In Japan, you can set up camp almost anywhere, without being bothered by anyone. In

The quiet rain was pleasant, indescribably restful, and becalming. Golden tunnels Each fall, the leaves of the zelkova trees lining my walk into town would turn a flaming yellow, creating a bright golden

I had to walk through raging rainstorms, blinding blizzards, or screaming typhoons. Generally speaking, if you’re riding in a car, it will take much more than a thunderstorm or a snowstorm to stop your

“More adventures during my wrong strange trip into the heart of crepuscular gloom in Japan.” This post comprises #74–#87 of my “Notes From Under the Tatami Mats.” It will be followed by individual daily

Stuck in the middle of nowhere, these so-called “tourist attractions” were sterile, unattractive, and excruciatingly dull. Wow. Sheep. Sheep on a hill. Hitsuji-ga-oka Observation Hill, south of Sapporo

He was concerned only with playing great music. Jo, a friend of mine, was just one of the many talented and creative guitarists that I met in Japan. But whenever I heard him play, I was always superbly

These great artists deserve all the dollars, yen, and ka-chings they can get. The Stones  Rock on, guys. Ka-ching.      (Image source) Michael Jackson  In his heyday, Michael started