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Introducing Yōkai: Echoes of the In-between
Imagine this: You’re walking along a slightly dark path at night, in the countryside. It is eerily quiet, all you can hear are your footsteps on the gravelled road. One after the other, but wait, did you just hear another set of footsteps? You shake it off, you are alone,…
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Lucky Bath Bombs or some Japanese Lucky Charms
If there’s one thing that is helpful about living in Japan and writing about Japan it’s that ideas come from all sorts of different places and sometimes very suddenly. So, I wanted to write about this little thing I found at the Ikebukuro Loft. A little thing that is very…
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A Little Guide to Kitsune and Other Foxes (3)
After covering origins and types of foxes in Japanese folklore, this time around we’ll focus on the powers foxes supposedly possess and how you can spot a Kitsune yourself. Transformation Out of all the powers a fox has the power of transformation is probably the most important one. A fox…
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A little guide to Shinto Part 2
Another installment of the little guide series, where I explore Shinto, Japan’s ancient spiritual tradition rooted in nature, harmony, and the worship of kami.
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A Little Guide to Kitsune and Other Foxes (2)
“A black fox appears when a king by his government causes profound peace.” This is a sentence written in the 続日本紀 (Shoku Nihongi), an essential historical text from the 8th century. But don’t be mistaken. “Historical” in this context means it not only includes historical events, but also fictional and mythological…
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A Little Guide to Kitsune and Other Foxes (1)
There’s a story in Chinese Literature from the year 333 BCE. A fox and a tiger are talking. The tiger is strong, every single one of its movements a reflection of beauty and grace. The tiger walks up and down, ever so slowly getting closer to the fox. Even dangerously…
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A Little Guide to Yūrei
It’s August. After weeks of unrelenting rain in June, the heat has now finally gotten unbearable. Despite that, you have decided to venture out on a walk, equipped with your sun umbrella and a portable fan. You walk around the neighbourhood and stop at 7-11 to get some papico. For…
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August’s Yōkai of the Month: Yūrei 幽霊
It’s the season of ghosts, guys! Well, at least in Japan. While in European countries the spooky days are usually at the end of autumn and along the days of Christmas, in Japan it is in August. For one, telling creepy stories is a good way to cool down in…
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Introducing Yōkai: Echoes of the In-between
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Little Matcha Magic: A morning stroll through Kyoto
We had woken up with the sun. When we stepped out of our hotel, we were greeted by the very forgiving rays of the spring sun, ready to tickle the sakura petals, waking them from their sleep. We weren’t about to climb a mountain or catch a plane, or do…
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Fandom, K-Pop and why you’re not smart, you’re just sexist
Language is power. So is visibility. And we need to be careful. We need to be mindful of not reinforcing such sexism and such sexist language through the way we talk about female fans. Especially in times like these. So, next time someone or you (?) rolls their eyes at…
