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Tag Archives: Japan
Chindonya: Japan’s musical signboards
In my July 17 column in The Japan Times, I write about chindonya, ちんどう屋 a delightfully wacky form of street advertising that’s making a comeback here in Japan. The picture above provides a slightly better view of the most distinctive of … Continue reading
Posted in What the Heck is That?
Tagged advertising in Japan, alice gordenker, Chindonya, Japan, what the heck is that?
4 Comments
Wild Parakeets in Tokyo ワカケホンセイインコ
This morning it was my great pleasure to watch three ring-necked parakeets feeding on a tree outside my window. I’ve been enjoying these wild parakeets since 2009 when I wrote a column about them in The Japan Times. As I … Continue reading
Yamamoto Motoi’s Saltworks 山本基
I started this blog to share things I can’t fit into my column in The Japan Times. I’ve got no shortage of material because my research inevitably leads into things that are fascinating but end up being off-topic by the … Continue reading
Pretty Paws: The Japanese art of dog manicure
In my April 17 column in the Japan Times, I introduced Sase Eiko 佐瀨栄子, a “pet beauty artist” who is booked a month in advance for the high-fashion manicures she does on dogs. That’s her in the photo below, at … Continue reading
‘Randoseru’ Recycling – New Life for Used School Backpacks
It’s Randoseru Week here on the Gordenker blog, with posts to link up with my March 20 column in the Japan Times. In that article I report on the origin and history of randoseru, ランドセル the sturdy box-like backpack used … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged alice gordenker, Japan, Japan Times, Japanese school bag, landoseru, randoseru, recycle, w, what the heck is that?
2 Comments
Backpacks of the World: Origin of “Randoseru”
In my March 20 column in the Japan Times, I explain that the origin of the Japanese word “randoseru” ランドセル is a Dutch word: “ransel,” a military backpack used in the 19th century. As I demonstrated, the Dutch word had … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged alice gordenker, Japan, landoseru, military backpacks, randoseru, ransel, what the heck is that?
5 Comments
The mysteries (and physics) of miso soup
In my Feb. 21 column in The Japan Times, I wrote about strange phenomena in miso soup, sent in by an observant reader. He noticed that his soup seemed to be moving around in the bowl of its own accord. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged alice gordenker, convection, Japan, JAXA, miso, miso soup, moving miso, moya moya, what the heck is that?
2 Comments
Subway safety: platform doors ホームドア
I wrote about platform doors in my January 17 column in The Japan Times, in response to a question from a reader who questioned whether these new safety barriers on train platforms amount to “typically Japanese paternalistic over-protection.” Lord knows … Continue reading
Nanakusa Vegetable Juice 七草野菜ジュース！
Today — January 7 — is jinjitsu 人日, one of the five sekku 節句 — days on the traditional Japanese calendar where one observes special customs of the season. Today is the day to make a rice porridge flavored with … Continue reading
Nanakusa – 7 greens for a healthy start for the new year
At the very end of the year, as I was rushing between a meeting and a dentist appointment, I got a surprise visit from Shimizu-san, the gardener who put in my wonderful Japanese balcony garden. He was bringing me, as … Continue reading
Alice Gordenker アリス・ゴーデンカー 