a mixed plate of Japanese American news and culture
This is the third and final part of my series on Bill 156, a bill that amends the Youth Healthy Ordinance in the Tokyo Metropolitan area proper. Here, I will give my future forecast for Japan. So the bill is passed, without going into what led up to all of this, what will become of [...]
While there is no real substitute for mochi made by pounding mochi (glutinous) rice there is something to be said for the easy substitute provided by these two recipes. Both recipes use mochiko (mochi flour) to generate a final product that is softer than traditional mochi but very delicious and also usable in other recipes like [...]
Part 1: Identifying the Mask James Baldwin once wrote, “Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.” When it comes to issues of love and sustainability, from the 442nd and Patsy Mink, to Yuri Kochiyama and Richard Aoki, Americans of Nikkei heritage have shown undeniable brilliance [...]
It being Christmas, I’m taking it easy today. I’ll be back with the rest of my rant on the new Tokyo Metro Bill later, but for today, let’s celebrate the birth of the Western world’s savior with a mountain of presents. To note, I’m Buddhist – and with that I’m not even really sure about [...]
“It seems that Marvel Studios believes that white people should have nothing that is unique to themselves.” Good point, Council of Conservative Citizens. First it was the water fountains, then the country clubs and then the presidency. Now comic book movie depictions of Norse Gods?! According to the Guardian, the CCC is calling for a [...]
Greetings from Chicago, Illinois, where your blogger for Nichi Bei Natural is braving a chilly week with the help of warm friends and family. Headed out to the Chicago Botanic Garden today for a snowy walk around the grounds, and strolled through the popular Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. Also known as the Sansho-En (it stretches across three [...]
Red beans and rice[cakes] didn’t miss her With the holiday season upon us the promise of seasonal Japanese treats looms large. And when I say “treats” what I really mean is mochi (sticky rice cakes). Of course, mochi can be eaten during the rest of the year but wonderfully, at holiday time, I can obsess [...]
In a recent issue of Nichi Bei Weekly, I review the live action film adaptation of the “Kamui” manga series, a project that brings the work of Sanpei Shirato together with Kankuro Kudo and Yoichi Sai. The film, which was pretty ok, will be released on dvd and bluray on Dec. 28, conveniently timed so [...]
So in my previous post, I talked about what kind of law was put into place by Tokyo’s metropolitan government. The effects of the law, while not quite as draconian as what sensationalism has dreamed up, do pose a major obstacle to what constitutes today’s anime and manga industry. My specialty lies in manga, but [...]
Late into the evening of December 14, twitter started to spring to life from Japan. The cause? The passage of Bill 156 in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. The infamous bill among anime otaku and people who work within the industry was initially proposed back in the spring of this year by Tokyo’s novelist turned governor, [...]
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