Author: mag

Snowmen fit the reality of Christmas in Australia about as well as a water fight does in Europe. Seasons and the seasons affect culture – even reflect it. In Japan, the weather follows the rules. When the proverbial butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, causing a typhoon in China and its neighbouring countries, the Japanese… Continue reading Seasons

Our ryokan, Japanese inn, was near the centre of town and looked like any hotel from the outside, but inside it was essentially a Japanese house. I made sure my parents took off their shoes before stepping up into the lobby. One of the staff shuffled over to greet us and offer slippers. She looked… Continue reading Journey

“It’s not so particular to Nagasaki, but it finishes with lanterns to guide the spirits back to the underworld. Many people buy a lantern from one of the festival stalls and we put them in the river to float out to sea. The water was really calm, so they floated for miles and the ocean… Continue reading Return of the Dead

Their packs were small. I wondered how they would fit tents and sleeping bags in them and started to panic, thinking Honda-san had stuffed up again. He was the experienced one among the Japanese, hiking up to five times each year, but he’d failed miserably when he went to Australia. Before he left, he asked… Continue reading Trek

I felt very out of place for half an hour, sitting at the back of the hall with a bunch of kids, but when the band came on, I forgot about that. They started with ‘sayonara no hi,’ goodbye day, a song bouncing with percussion that brought the audience to their feet – figuratively. There… Continue reading Music

“Captain on the bridge.” The words weren’t actually said, but I could hear echoes of them whenever I approached. Every technician would stop what he was doing and stand ready, as if waiting for new orders. “Don’t let me interrupt. Continue what you were doing.” No movement. “Kasamatsu-san, I just wanted to see how things… Continue reading Customer Service

“mita? sakura ga saita,” said each person as they came in, tones reverent. Did you see? The cherry flowers blossomed. All day, the office buzzed with a peculiar mix of anticipation, serenity and excitement, and wandering around the city that evening, I felt the same atmosphere on every street corner. In my head, I saw… Continue reading Flower Viewing

I had no reason not to gawk however, and did so keenly. A man in a doctor’s coat stood beside a gorgeous young woman, naked but for a large area of pixelation stretching from hip to hip. Display of pubic hair is illegal in Japan, rendering the whole erotic industry impotent to achieve its objective.… Continue reading Sex