Below is the first chapter from my newest book Tamamo. If you like what you read, you can buy the ebook or paperback on Amazon. The story takes place in an alternative Heian period. Here’s the blurb: Tamamo grew up in the imperial court, where the space between words mattered more than the words themselves,…
TokyoTreat’s Santa Snackfest
TokyoTreat sent me their December snackbox to review. If you aren’t familiar with TokyoTreat, the company offers a monthly subscription that sends you a themed box of Japanese goodies. For those who aren’t familiar with Japanese snacks, TokyoTreat includes a booklet that introduces every goodie along with their allergy information. The booklet also contains cultural…
Of Boys and Men
I’ve often written about the struggles of men here on JP. Japan leads the United States and the West when it comes to social problems. This also applies to man’s issues to a good degree. Japanese men have a high rate of suicide and a high rate of men becoming hikikomori. Lately, the US has…
Hanasaku Iroha
Anime often does character studies and coming-of-age stories well. Hanasaku Iroha centers on Ohana Matsumae who is sent from Tokyo to live with a grandmother she had never met. Her grandmother runs a hot spring inn called Kissuiso. Her grandmother, at first, comes off as stern, uncaring, and harsh. She slaps the faces of the…
Understanding the Fairy Tale “The Lady Who Loved Insects”
The Lady Who Loved Insects is a charming short story set in the Heian period. The story follows a young noble woman who has intellectual interests, such as studying insects, in a society where women were supposed to be wives and sometimes poets. The Lady Who Loved Insects can be found in The Riverside Middle…
Facelift and Code Tweaks
After some work, I’ve finished a much-needed layout change and tweaked a lot of background code. Hopefully, it will make JP load faster for mobile readers. Google recently started downranking websites that violate their CoreVitals framework. JP failed the framework test. The tweaks have JP around 90-95% compliant now, up from around 70%. It will…