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How to donate old eyeglasses in Japan 4 Aug 2013 | 12:14 pm
My translation: Shouldn’t you throw out those glasses? I mean, “Woof!” One of my frustrations has been trying to find a place in Japan to donate old eyeglasses. In the U.S. I dropped them off at one ...
Mosquitoes bugging you? 蚊取り線香 15 Jul 2013 | 01:00 am
In my July 16 column in The Japan Times, I wrote about mosquito coils, which were actually invented in Japan, and promised to show you some of the holders used when burning them. I couldn’t resist the...
Okigusuri 置き薬 – “Use first, pay later” medicine 17 Jun 2013 | 11:00 pm
In my June 18 column in The Japan Times, I wrote about okigusuri 置き薬, a very old way of selling medicine in which a selection of products are left in a home or office without payment or deposit. You u...
Hikyaku: the “flying legs” of early Japanese post delivery 20 May 2013 | 08:42 pm
In my May 21 column in The Japan Times, I wrote about hikyaku 飛脚, the “flying legs” couriers who moved letters and packages around Japan until the late 19th century when a modern postal system was cre...
Ticket Giveaway: postal museum 20 May 2013 | 08:37 pm
In my May 21 column in The Japan Times, and the blog post above, I wrote about the history of postal service in Japan. So I’m giving away two sets of free tickets to the Tei Park Communications Museum...
Lillian: Week Two ”What’s the difference between Suica and PASMO?” 16 Apr 2013 | 06:15 pm
As I explained in an earlier post, I’ve started a new column in Japan Times ST, a weekly paper for English learners. Here’s the column from April 12.
The 5 o’clock bell, explained 16 Apr 2013 | 03:00 am
In my April 16 column in The Japan Times, I reveal the real rationale for the 5 o’clock bell. For the benefit of the uninitiated, I’m referring to a daily broadcast of music that is played on outdoor ...
My talk in Takadanobaba…this time in Japanese 講演会 4 Apr 2013 | 03:43 pm
Back in February, I gave a talk at Al’s Cafe in Takadanobaba about my adventures in Japan as a student, a journalist and the mother of two children who attended Japanese school. It must have gone well...
Why DO Japanese love cherry blossoms so much? 3 Apr 2013 | 05:45 pm
The cherry blossom season is winding down here in Tokyo. Despite the generally cold and cloudy weather, there were plenty of people out enjoying picnics under the flowers in various states of drunkenn...
Meet “Lillian,” my (younger) alter ego 3 Apr 2013 | 05:22 am
Foreigners ask the darnedest questions, and Japanese are forever worried about being able to answer. Enter “Lillian,” a high-school exchange student from the United States who is full of questions abo...
