japanese culture– tag –

Why does the Scottish folk song "Auld Lang Syne" make Japanese people instantly flee? I explore the Pavlovian closing signal ("Hotaru no Hikari"), only to pivot to the actual fireflies in Hokkaido. From a surreal night in the JSDF to Asahikawa’s successful community effort to reclaim natural beauty, I argue that the magic of a cool summer night is the best reason to avoid the heat of mainland Japan.

There are so many hidden gems in Hokkaido. You can see beautiful scenery e.g.; lakes, mountains, forest, sea and so on. I would like to share some gems in Hokkaido. 【Hell Valley in Hokkaido】 Hokkaido is like a heaven but there is the H...

What do India’s Dabba delivery system and Japan’s Bento art tell us about culture? I explore the unseen human greatness of Mumbai’s analog logistics and the miniature artistry of the Japanese lunchbox. This leads to the structural difference of Tiffin tins vs. magewappa (bent wood boxes)—and the surprising fact that the technology that perfected your traditional Bento now perfects our Hokkaido wooden chairs.

Why do I, a rationalist, keep buying the same book twice on Kindle? I explore the Efficiency Trap, where the pursuit of digital convenience leads to lost memory and diminished experience. The problem is not nostalgia, but the value of inefficiency. I argue that life is notoriously poor in cost performance, and that the modern search for meaning requires us to reject pure efficiency. Join us at Asahikawa Design Week to experience the value of real, inefficient communication.

How did a post-war necessity become a global staple eaten 81 times a year in Korea? I explore the Japanese invention of instant noodles, tracing Momofuku Ando's five-point philosophy and the continuous innovation (Kaizen) that produced non-fried and raw-type noodles. The article concludes with the utterly anticlimactic truth: I cannot bring specialty instant noodles as a souvenir to our Bangkok staff because global logistics always loses to carry-on baggage limits.

You spend 52 minutes a day gossiping. Is that a bad thing? I analyze the social genetics of gossip through the lens of Yuval Noah Harari's theories, arguing it is a necessary human survival mechanism. Discover why online chat fails to satisfy this deep need, and why June in Hokkaido—outside the rainy season—is the best place to reconnect and engage in genuine, face-to-face "gossip."

I trace the origin of Japan's Galápagos Syndrome to a chocolate snack craze from my childhood, fueled by the hit-or-miss system for rare hologram stickers. This mentality evolved into Gacha (capsule toys). I analyze the genius marketing move that transformed this local craze into a global success: installing machines at airports to solve the universal problem of leftover JPY coins. This is the power of design—solving a logistics headache with empathy and turning a local habit into a global solution.

Every March, Japan enters a state of high alert. News anchors pivot from grim economic reports to radiant grins as they reveal the "tactical coordinates" of the Cherry Blossom Front. Is it flower viewing, or a ritualized battlefield for the corporate soul? From the fleeting illusions of Tokyo to the enduring skeleton of Hokkaido cherry timber, we analyze the true anatomy of Sakura.

I must confess, I don't understand art at all. We argue the true value of a museum is not authenticity, but the quiet, surreal experience. Discover the Simulacra Paradox: The Otsuka Museum displays every masterpiece as a durable ceramic replica, allowing you to see the Mona Lisa without the mob. This is the true, subtle luxury: processing the surreal world of art in quiet, deliberate comfort.

Why does a Japanese person who hates the smell of raw fish insist you visit his mountain-surrounded hometown for the best sushi? I explore the Sushi Paradox, noting the scientific mystery of our elusive tastes (I love fishing, but won't touch the catch!). While Hokkaido's seas are bountiful due to colliding currents, the logic is in logistics: Asahikawa, the inland distribution hub, gathers the best fish—the quality too high to stay on the coast. Come to Asahikawa for the best sushi! (I’ll order the cooked egg.)