40 years in Japan · Written in English

The Real Japan.
No filters. No guidebooks.

I'm Yosi, and I've lived in central Japan for over 40 years. This is my obsession: sharing the Japan tourists miss — the food, the culture, the anime, and the gloriously strange stuff nobody tells you about.

新着記事

Strange things in Japan

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 33: The Japanese Business Card Ritual — Why a Piece of Paper Is Sacred

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 33: The Japanese Business Card Ritual — Why a Piece of Paper Is SacredBy Yoshi | Japan...
2026.07.18
Strange things in Japan
Strange things in Japan

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 32: The Art of Japanese Fake Food — Why Plastic Sushi Costs More Than Real Sushi

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 32: The Art of Japanese Fake Food — Why Plastic Sushi Costs More Than Real SushiBy Yos...
2026.07.17
Strange things in Japan
Strange things in Japan

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 31: Japan’s Rabbit Islands, Fox Villages, and the Strange Joy of Animal Tourism

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 31: Japan's Rabbit Islands, Fox Villages, and the Strange Joy of Animal TourismBy Yosh...
2026.07.16
Strange things in Japan
Strange things in Japan

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 30: Purikura — The Photo Booth That Makes You Look Better Than You Are

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 30: Purikura — The Photo Booth That Makes You Look Better Than You AreBy Yoshi | Japan...
2026.07.15
Strange things in Japan
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Japanese culture

Cherry Blossoms in Central Japan: Where Yoshi Actually Goes for Hanami
Kodo: The Art of Listening to Incense
Japanese Fashion Subcultures: From Harajuku to Shibuya and Beyond
How Japan Handles Death: Funerals, Ancestors, and the Buddhist Way of Grief
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Japanese food

Shabu-Shabu and Sukiyaki: Japan’s Hot Pot Culture and How to Actually Eat It
How to Order at a Japanese Restaurant When You Can’t Read Japanese
Japan’s Craft Beer Revolution: How a Nation of Beer Lovers Discovered Small Breweries
Japan’s Four Great Ramen Styles — Explained by Someone Who Has Eaten Too Much of All of Them
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Manga & Anime

Voice Actors (Seiyuu) in Japan: Why They’re as Famous as the Characters They Play
The Anime Season System: Why There’s Always Something New to Watch
Light Novels: The Books That Become Anime (And Why They’re Everywhere)
Why Japanese Anime Characters Don’t Look Japanese — and Why That’s Fine
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Otaku Culture

Retro Arcades and Game Centers: Why Japan Never Let Go of the Coin-Op
The Rise of the Cafe Culture in Otaku Japan: From Maid Cafes to Theme Cafes
Japanese Board Games and Card Games: Beyond Shogi and Go
Nendoroids and the Art of Tiny Figures: A Collector’s Introduction
もっと見る

Strange things in Japan

Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 33: The Japanese Business Card Ritual — Why a Piece of Paper Is Sacred
Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 32: The Art of Japanese Fake Food — Why Plastic Sushi Costs More Than Real Sushi
Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 31: Japan’s Rabbit Islands, Fox Villages, and the Strange Joy of Animal Tourism
Quirky Japan Chronicles – Episode 30: Purikura — The Photo Booth That Makes You Look Better Than You Are
もっと見る