Last month Common Sense Media came out with research detailing somber news; current American teenagers are reading far less than teenagers from previous decades. Although the reasons for such a decline are not completely clear, the study does point to advancements in technology as playing a substantial role. Lacking data to present a comprehensive…
  Leaving home for university coincided with my father discovering the entertainment possibilities of the Internet. Subsequently we have maintained a rather sweet father-daughter e-mail communication sharing YouTube videos, rugby match reports and location-related news articles. One such e-mail pinged into my inbox in February: a scanned clipping from the Times about Japanese research…
Dear Miss A Hart, I think I’ve finally reached my breaking point. I just cannot handle the attention I get anymore. If it’s not my “small†face or nose, it’s my curly hair or white skin. Seriously, I try to tan, I really do! I’m a total addict to self-tanning lotion at home,…
Most of us know the history, or at least the abridged version, of the Pacific Theater in World War II. Japan became increasingly militaristic in the 1920s and 1930s and went on to invade other parts of Asia before finally deciding to attack the United States at Pearl Harbor. In response, the Americans declared…
If you’re looking for a beautiful and challenging hike this summer, take a trip to Kyoto’s Kami Daigo-ji, which is temple number 11 of our 33 temple pilgrimage. Daigo-ji temple grounds is expansive, one of the largest temple complexes in Kyoto; it has three separate sections (each with its own admission): Sanbonin (former…
What is Bento? A traditional bento is a complete Japanese meal, with all the side dishes, packed lovingly into a small portable box. A bento lunch should fill the box completely, so that the carefully arranged food doesn’t shift during transport, and it should look immensely appealing, so that even the pickiest of eaters will…
A confluence of international, bilateral, and domestic conditions has made Japan’s chances with the Trans-Pacific Partnership better than widely thought. On April 23rd, US President Barack Obama met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. The first state visit by a sitting US president since Bill Clinton in 1996,Obama’s trip to Japan was meant…
ゴーーールーーー !!!!!! Can you feel it? There is something special about to happen. There is electricity in the air, a growing rumble underfoot, a quickening of your heartbeat – and the cause is not the new Godzilla movie. In fact, it is the sporting event that puts all other sporting events to shame. It…
Greetings! Now don’t hate me, but I have been craving the arrival of the rains for some weeks now. I know, I know, spring is a delightful time of year in Japan and I should savour it while it lasts, but I just can’t. I think it’s partly that the season starts so gloriously…