Dispatches from Japan

In Fukushima, northern Japan, there's an anomalous section of the border - a long thin strip of land. What's that all about? #Japan #Geography #History

What's it like having surgery in Japan? And what is otosclerosis? Find out all about my first surgery and hospital stay experience in this episode. #Otosclerosis #Japan

Who was Ito Noe and what did she do in her short 28 years? Quite a lot, in fact. Find out about this anarcha-feminist in this episode. There's arranged marriage! A love tri..quadrilateral! Bertrand Russell! Throat stabbing! Government censorship! And more! #Japan #History #WomensHistory #Feminism

I read an article claiming Japan is a great place to ride your bike. But is it really? A lot of it depends on where you are and what kind of riding you want to do. Let's break it down and see where Japan is good for cyclists, and where it ain't. #Cycling #Japan

In March of 1657, a fire destroyed most of Edo (Modern day Tokyo). What started the fire? Why is it sometimes called the furisode fire?

One of the recent trends in Japanese fashion is US university sweatshirts. And sometimes they are not the obvious schools.

It's a rite of passage for Japanese kids entering elementary school. But not having grown up here, it's slightly baffling to me, even though I "get it." What is a randoseru? And what up with that?

In August of 1981, three suspicious men were spotted in a small rubber boat in Oga, Akita, northern Japan. Who were they? And why were people on the Japan Sea coast on edge at the time?

She was featured in a Google Doodle in 2021. But why? Who was Tsujimura Michiyo?

Down in Hiroshima, there is a short and, dare I say it, unique public transit line. It's not particularly flashy or fast. But it does stand out in its own ways.