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Agriculture Food History Japan Texas The Lowcountry

Texas Rice and the Influence of Japanese Immigrants

From Elder JJZ: On a more serious note[1], really interesting connection between Japan and the establishment of the rice industry in Texas. We know many of the people or descendants mentioned in this article . They put up with a lot of bad stuff in the 1900’s but aren’t bitter, made a good life for […]

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Gods, Goddesses, and Mythical Heros Japan Movies

Kwaidan: Part V – the Movie

Today we look at the stories portrayed in the 1964 Japanese ghost story anthology film, Kwaidan. The Black Hair “The Black Hair” (黒髪, Kurokami) is adapted from “The Reconciliation” and “The Corpse Rider”, which appeared in Hearn’s collection Shadowings (1900). An impoverished swordsman in Kyoto divorces his wife, a weaver, and leaves her for a […]

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Adventures of the Elders Book Club Japan Movies

Kwaidan: Part IV – No-Face Visits WLBOTT HQ

Lafcadio Hearn’s short story, Mujina, from Kwaidan – Stories and Studies of Strange Things, depicts a creepy Japanese supernatural creature called a noppera-bō, or mujina. No-Face / Spirited Away No-Face is a fascinating character in the Japanese animated film Spirited Away. Insightful article on Comic Book Resources: The CBR is a pretty cool web site. […]

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Book Club Gods, Goddesses, and Mythical Heros Japan

Kwaidan: Part III – Mujina, Like Unto an Egg

The following short story is from the 1905 edition of Kwaidan – Stories and Studies of Strange Things, by Lafcadio Hearn. Illustrations by Elder G. MUJINA On the Akasaka Road, in Tokyo, there is a slope called Kii-no-kuni-zaka,—which means the Slope of the Province of Kii. I do not know why it is called the […]

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Book Club Japan Movies

Kwaidan: Part II – Lafcadio Hearn in Japan

Lafcadio Hearn, author of the book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, moved to Japan in 1890. He initially arrived to work as an English teacher in Matsue, a city in the Shimane Prefecture. Hearn became deeply fascinated with Japanese culture, folklore, and traditions, eventually settling in Japan permanently. He married a Japanese woman […]

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Book Club Japan Movies

Kwaidan: Part I – Young Lafcadio Hearn

Through an interesting stream of consciousness, we came across one of the most interesting people on our World Tour: Lafcadio Hearn. Stream of Unconsciousness So, due to a combination of quantum effects, uncertainty principles, and tidal forces, the HBO algorithm suggested Kwaidan. The poster was creepy enough to draw me in. Kwaidan (Japanese: 怪談, Hepburn: […]

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Fine Arts Japan Music

Wendy Carlos: Persian Carpets and Fabric Squares

We spent some time trying to determine if the Persian Rug on the cover of Switched-On Bach is the same rug in Wendy Carlos‘ studio. From various photos of Wendy’s studio, we have to conclude that it is not the same rug. Elder G’s Persian Rug Celebrating Wendy Carlos Elder G created some nice Persian […]

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Curated Absurdity Current Events Japan

Keeping Up With World Events

What better way to keep up with world events than to read a variety of international on-line papers. Headlines from Around the World: Japan Sky News / Japan Japan Times India The India Express The Hindustan Times Hong Kong South China Morning Post Indonesia The Jakarta Post United Kingdom The Telegraph Colombia El Tiempo Latino […]

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Adventures of the Elders Food Japan TOTOT

Casserole of Death (COD)

[ed. note: UC#3 and UC#3-SU return from Japan.] Up with jet lag. Cleaned out eggs, cheese, rice, jalapeño and dubious ham from fridge and baked it up. Keeping with my mission to keep food waste from landfills and to test the scientific fact that you won’t get sick from spoiled food cooked above 165F (75C) […]

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Food Japan TOTOT

Updates and Poetry from Japan

UC#3 and family continue their visit to Japan. He commemorates his visit with poetry: HaikuPork tongue link sausageFrom Kanazawa Lawson’sChoked on tough bits LimerickA samurai from Kanazawa was hungryHe went to find something to fill his tummyHe entered Lawson’s, 7-11 and Family MartAfter brandishing his sword, he was asked to departAlas, he had to have […]