Jonelle Patrick's Blog, page 12

Girls’ Day dolls with a side of quirky

Every March 3rd, families with daughters display a set of Girls’ Day dolls that represent the Imperial court at its Heian Era finest…

…but these days, you don’t have to be a nobleman or a shrine maiden to ascend the vermilion steps!

The Imperial Pokemon court One Piece characters go royal or go home Emperor Anpanman and Empress Melonpan presiding

I saw all these sets in the town of Katsuura, which is famous for displaying 40,000 dolls all over town for Girls’ Day, but the set below is my favorite. Katsuura is a fishing town, so I adored this traditional set that’s been modified to give a nod to the local industry.

I don’t know how they got all those perfectly scaled fish and crabs, but somebody is a master modelmaker! I’m especially fond of this group, which doesn’t leave out the guy reeling one in for his own supper, or the intrepid spear fisher And I also love these hardworking nobles, hauling in a fine catch. Don’t you love how they perfectly positioned the blue marbles, like Japanese glass fishing floats? I even love this wacky emperor and empress made of shells Also had to admire the ones made by local schoolkids, out of toilet paper rolls… …and paper cups! And the Katsuura town mascot (a goggle-eyed tuna BECAUSE JAPAN) making an appropriate holiday appearance …as do the Moomin family …and stuffie versions of Anpanman and Melonpan improvised from dry goods at the local hardware store

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Jonelle Patrick is the author of five novels set in Japan

The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, altering the lives of all who possess it… read more

“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

In Japan, You’re Never Too Young To…

…learn to charge your devices

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…eat instant ramen

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…get addicted to those coin-gobbling, impossible-to-win claw machines

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…learn to drive a train

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…drink tea

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…start your own maid cafe

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…organize your action figures’ weapons neatly on a 1/2 scale gun rack

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…summon the forces of darkness

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Jonelle Patrick is the author of five novels set in Japan

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, altering the lives of all who possess it… read more

The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon

“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Live eel sushi rolls

Just in time for Setsubun—the Japanese holiday on which demons are exorcized with dry beans and smelly sardines—the Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium built this hilarious (and twisted!) ehōmaki sushi roll hideout for its garden eels.

You’ll get the joke immediately if you know that ehōmaki rolls are only sold on Setsubun (which happens to fall on February 2 this year) and this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink of a sushi roll traditionally contains non-live eels, plus pink fish powder, egg, cucumber, dried bonito, mushrooms and rice.

To harness the ehōmaki’s true demon-slayer power, you have to face this year’s lucky direction (that would be SSE or south-south-east on your phone compass) and eat the entire thing without taking it out of your mouth or speaking (a fortunate requirement, since speaking with a mouth crammed full of this monster sushi roll would be well-nigh impossible).

Last year the aquarium built some sushi rolls that would only accommodate one eel each…

But they were so popular, this year they decided to go big or go home:

And now, what you’ve really been craving: THE VIDEO!

来月の節分を前に、仙台うみの杜水族館（仙台市宮城野区）では｢恵方巻き｣を模した筒から顔をのぞかせるアナゴが人気を集めています＝２２日午後　#恵方巻き　#仙台うみの杜水族館　#アナゴ pic.twitter.com/O3vmdjPcPS

— 時事通信映像ニュース (@jiji_images) January 22, 2021

Thank you to GrapeJapan for the excellent pointer and these fine photos!

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And if you’re looking for a little more entertainment set in Japan…

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

 
The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon

“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist

•

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

The Japanese art of gift giving, millions of twinkling fairy lights, and hilarious Xmas weirdness

Links to the DECEMBER 2020 Japanagram features

Hello, friend! It’s me, Jonelle. I hope that the new year is bringing you all kinds of good changes and extra heapings of hope for you and yours! Here are the features that Japanagram subscribers enjoyed in December, and a preview of what they’re reading right now…

SEASONAL SECRET

The Japanese art of gift giving

If there were medals for gifting, the Japanese would own the gold and the Guinness record for owning the gold…read more

BEYOND TOKYO

Millions of twinkling fairy lights, dancing fountain extravaganzas, and glowing cotton candy, all served up on a roller coaster

Yomiuriland outdoes itself this year with all-new glittering lights and fresh spectacles of live dancers performing with choreographed water fountains…read more

WHY, JAPAN, WHY?

There’s nothing weirder than Xmas in Japan

Like most things in Japan, they get Christmas exactly, excruciatingly right, and at the same time so very, very wrong. Poinsettias are all the rage, lavishly-trimmed trees abound, and Santa and his helpers are on every corner, except sometimes they’re a little…off…read more

JAPANESE HOME COOKING

Marinated Pork Medallions with Melted Leeks

Want to try something new that’s guaranteed to have your guests begging for seconds? These marinated medallions of pork tenderloin always get rave reviews, even from people who “don’t like Japanese food.” (Bonus: they’re easy to make and turn out perfect every time)…read more

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

December 6   by Martin Cruz Smith

This novel is set in the hours right before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, capturing the moment from inside the world of the attacker. Seen through the eyes of one of the few foreigners in Japan, we watch from within as this tiny, insignificant country thrusts itself onto the world stage…click here

MY PICKS FOR GIFT READS:

There’s a book on this list for everyone on YOUR list

The gift of escapism is at the top of everyone’s list this year, and books are the perfect getaway when we can’t get on a plane ourselves. Here are books that your giftees probably haven’t read yet, in every category…read more

And in JANUARY…

In January, Japan dishes up all kinds of chilly delights, so read on and see what there is to look forward to as winter gets into full swing. If you’re not a subscriber, you can’t read these features until the end of the month, but it’s easy to join and get full access now for FREE! Click on the link at the end of each description or scroll down to the Get Japanagram button.

Here’s what’s in the January issue:

WHY, JAPAN, WHY?

Dogs dressed in schoolgirl uniforms are just the tip of the iceberg

In the land with the most rapidly shrinking birthrate in the world, it’s easy to see where all that energy is going. Pets have their own fashion, transportation, spas, gourmet delis and more…(To read more, click here to get Japanagram)

BEYOND TOKYO

A magical cliffside of icicles lit up at night

This secret Japanese pleasure isn’t a famous tourist destination—it’s really more of a pit stop along the way to other great places—but it’s so spectacular in an ur-illuminations kind of way, I just have to show it to you…(To read more, click here to get Japanagram)

SEASONAL SECRET

The grand pooh-bah of Japanese flea markets

This treasure trove of a flea market only happens twice a year, but what a goldmine it is! Where else might you find a set of antique lacquer ozonibowls, a disgruntled workman doll, a pre-dial-era telephone, and a couple of courtesan’s tobacco pipes, all on one table!…(To read more, click here to get Japanagram)

A LITTLE NEW YEAR’S FUN

Let’s play Japan Jeopardy!

The questions will be easier if you’ve read The Last Tea Bowl Thief, but they’re all diabolically guessable. There are enough clues in each question that you can give them a pretty decent shot, even if you haven’t read or finished the book…(To play, click here to get Japanagram)

BOOK REVIEWS & GIVEAWAY

OUT   by Natsuo Kirino

A brutal murder is just the beginning of this dark thriller, where we watch an ordinary housewife and her friends cover up the crime with Ripley-esque practicality and utter absence of guilt…(To enter to win your very own copy, click here to become a Japanagram subscriber)

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Jonelle Patrick is the author of five novels set in Japan

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

 The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon

“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist

•

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Speed Tribes come of age, Yanki style

Every year in the city of Kitakyushu, Coming-of-Age Day is celebrated in over-the top style by 20-year-olds kitted out in outlandish versions of Japanese formalwear.

The second Monday in January (the holiday on which all Japanese twenty-year-olds become legal adults) is well known by kimono-spotters all over Japan as the best day all year to see young women dressed in the most lavish kimonos they’ll ever wear.

It’s not at all surprising to see the ladies doing it up in grand style

But in Kitakyushu, it’s the young men who steal the show.

Gold brocade hakama? Check. Fake fur trimmed robes? Check. Not your grandfather’s hairstyle? Check, check, check!

It’s pretty obvious why photos of Kitakyshu’s Seijinshiki-no-hi festivities never fail to make the national news and dominate the socials—who could resist feasting their eyes on kids taking traditional outfits to the next level?

But look closer, and you’ll notice that they choose some very particular ways to bend the rules. I’ve always wondered why, so let’s dig deeper and find out why so many of them have hilariously big hair and beyond-glam outfits…

First: the head fur

A lot of them have the kind of extravagant pompadours only sported by…

… Bōsōzoku , Japan’s motorcycle speed tribes.

The Japanese version of motorcycle gangs started in the 1950s and displayed their commitment to their club by their unique fashion sense: Elvis-like pompadours and personalized jackets (usually emblazoned with nationalist slogans, their club’s insignia, and right-wing images like the pre-war rising sun flag)

As you can see, subtlety isn’t really the point — between the bōsuzōku and the professional gangsters, I’d be surprised if they didn’t account for about 95% of the gold embroidery business in Japan Once you know that (literally) over-the-top hair is a badge of belonging to the kind of club that usually decks themselves out in gold-embroidered satin jackets, the glittery hakama, the matching personalized fans and the serious rally banners make a lot more sense

But are these guys really members of local speed tribes, or are they just dressing up in wigs and gold embroidery for fun?

Let’s zoom in on this guy—I think you’ll agree that beneath the special occasion “rising sun” dye job, that looks like his real hair. Which had to be grown out and cut in that shape, and takes hella skill (plus industrial-strength hair products) to mold it into that righteous gravity-defying wave

It is, of course, possible that they all decided to grow their hair and take Elvis lessons for this big milestone, but…

This photo might suggest otherwise. The members of this club all have hair that is pompadour-ready, but their parents prevailed upon them to look “normal” for the once-in-a-lifetime coming-of-age day photo to send to the grandparents And when I searched online for the name of this group (it’s on both their banners)… …I found a Twitter account under the club’s name, and spotted a few familiar-looking faces Some of the young women belong to these clubs too, with their own banners, personalized fans, and extravagant bleached hair

The speed tribes of Japan have been in decline for a couple of decades now, but like most fashion cults, there are still pockets of them throughout Japan where the culture lives on. Every year when I see the latest batch of coming-of-age-day photos, I’m strangely happy to discover that Kitakyushu is still one of them!

There are lots more photos (and killer VIDEO) in the SoraNews24 piece where I got most of these photos. More photo thanks to the Japanese Fashion Wiki and Japan Bullet for the others.

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And if you’re looking for a little more entertainment set in Japan…

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

 
The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon

“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist

•

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

How to have a lucky (remote!) Japanese New Year

Even in Japan this year, a lot of temples and shrines are closed because of the current COVID spike, and trains didn’t run all night on New Year’s Eve, so most people can’t usher in the new year with the traditional First Shrine Visit, First Fortunetelling Prediction, or even a bowl of toshikoshi soba.

But don’t despair, because this post is all about getting your lucky new year fixes safely and remotely, wherever you happen to live!

And remember — in Japan, New Year’s lasts for three days, so waiting to make the traditional observations until the 2nd or 3rd is still legit!

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First, let’s eat some long noodles for long life

Everybody looks forward to chowing down on toshikoshi soba for their first meal of the new year, but if you’re not anywhere they’re dishing up big satisfying bowls of buckwheat noodles, you can easily whip up a tasty batch of them yourself.

You can use an authentic recipe for Japanese toshikoshi soba soup, or you can also capture the spirit of eating long noodles for long life with my favorite Japanese noodle dish! (If you subscribe to my Japanagram newsletter, you’ll recognize this one from the April edition’s Japanese Home Cooking feature!)

Creamy Sesame Noodles

Ingredients (per single serving):

3.5 oz. (100 g) dried Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles or regular spaghetti (if you can find the whole wheat kind, it’ll more closely approximate Japanese soba)

2 T. sliced green onions

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Creamy Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Cook noodles according to instructions on package. Drain and rinse (so they don’t stick together). Toss with dressing and green onions. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve warm or cold.

Creamy Sesame-Ginger Dressing (makes enough for 12 servings):

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. rice vinegar

1/4 c. water

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 knobs peeled fresh ginger, grated (each the size of your thumb, or larger)

6 T. sesame tahini or Japanese sesame paste*

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

Whisk all dressing ingredients together and store in refrigerator. Will last a month in the fridge (but I guarantee it’ll be long gone before then!)

*You can buy tahini online if you can’t find it at your local supermarket, or you can substitute creamy natural peanut butter (the kind without added sugar) for a slightly different but still delicious taste.

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Now let’s get your First Fortune of the New Year

Everyone wants to see what fate has in store for them in the new year, and buying the first o-mikuji is a popular tradition on the first shrine visit. But even if you can’t get to an o-mikuji vendor, you can get a genuine reading based on the I Ching (the same divination method sold at shrines and temples) by…downloading a FREE app to your phone!

This is the app I like



Traditionally, the I Ching relies on “fate” to predict fortunes based on random throws of yarrow sticks (like this one at Senso-ji temple) or on six tosses of three coins.

The app uses the coin method. Each coin can come up two different ways (heads or tails), and each random toss of three coins results in one line of a “hexagram.” Six tosses of the coins are necessary to build up the entire fortune.

To get started, click on the question mark icon at the foot of the screen…

Then type in your question. The I Ching answers open-ended questions (not the kind that can be answered by “yes” or “no”) so be sure you’re asking something like, “What can I look forward to in the new year?”

The app works by physically shaking your phone six times. Each time, the coins will move and show you the result of the toss, then fill in one line in the diagram up in the right corner.

After six separate shakes, it will automatically deliver your prediction for the present and future (click on the tabs to read them), plus any additional information given by “changing” lines.

For example, my new year’s fortune for this year was 10 > 60, with changing lines at 4 and 6 (which means Hexagram 10 influenced by Hexagram 60, with clarifying “Changes” information from the fourth and sixth coin tosses). The hexagrams based on your throws will appear automatically, after you finish your six throws, but you can see a list of all 64 possible hexagrams if you click on the Book icon at the bottom of the screen.

There are a number of different translations/interpretations of the hexagrams in English, and some are easier to understand than others. You can get alternative versions by clicking on the Library icon at the bottom of the screen then clicking on “Store” in the upper left of the Library screen (the app and basic translations of the hexagrams is free, but you have to do in-app purchase if you want others). Any versions you buy will show up in your Library, and you can switch between them to compare their interpretations of your fortune.

Here’s an example of how different they can be for the same fortune — the one on the left is Hilary Barrett’s “I Ching: Walking Your Path” and the one on the right is Carol K. Anthony’s “A Guide to the I Ching”

And if you get a yucky one? No problem!
In Japan, you can reject any fortune you don’t like by leaving it at the shrine, so it’s only fair that the same rules apply to the app!

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And finally, let’s make our First Shrine Visit

Even if you live somewhere that’s not remotely close to a Shinto shrine, you can still think about the kind of wishes you make when it’s finally your turn to step up to the offering box, toss your coins, and ring that bell.

Before we jump into the wishing, though, let’s wait in a virtual line. Let’s stop for five minutes and think about what we want to wish for in the year to come. I don’t know about you, but the longer I wait, the more I remember to ask for stuff that would benefit other people too, not just what I’m hoping my own life will hold in the year ahead.

Fortunately, when you’re making your wishes virtually, you can make as many wishes as you like — and take as long as you like — because there’s nobody behind you in line!

Got your wishes? OK. Close your eyes, imagine yourself at your favorite shrine.

If you like (and you’re nowhere people will think you’re crazy), you can bow twice, clap your hands twice, fold them and make your wishes, then bow again.

Or you can just go for it.

Then, because no new year’s is complete without a little cup of sake…

…feel free to take a ceremonial sip, even if it’s not dished out by a shrine maiden!

Happy new year, friends far and near・° ♪・☆  
May 2021 bring you heaps of happiness and the best of luck!

And if you’re curious where I got that awesome kimono-clad minifig and the Lego torii gate, they’re part of the amazing light-up sakura tree Lego kit I just got from Buildiverse!

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I hope that as we move deeper into winter, you’ve got plenty of good books and a nice cuppa to curl up with!

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

The best winter gift of 2020? A Japanese stomach warmer!

Don’t laugh! The humble haramaki is making a comeback, because nothing—and I mean nothing—keeps you warmer while sitting at your desk fielding endless zoom calls than this legwarmer for your midriff.

I didn’t believe it until I tried it, but it turns out that once I started keeping my midsection warm, I didn’t need the little space heater under my desk anymore!



Once found only in shops like this big red underwear store that cater to the kind of over-60s who are quickly sliding into cranky unclehood…



…the humble stomach warmer now comes in designs for both men AND women that you don’t have to hide under your zoomwear! They come in all-over patterns like cute winter snowmen and those adorable rice balls



Or more traditional designs…



Or a stomach bonsai (which can stretch into into a full-sized tree as you enjoy your holiday feasting)



There are manly wave & Mt. Fuji designs…



fearsome kabuki makeup…



daruma bellies…



and lucky cats…



or appealing fishing bear and meowface tummy toasters



Some are obviously made (and sized) for women



But anybody can wrap themselves up like a Japanese wedding present!



I found this amazing selection at Tokyu Hands in Shibuya…



…but you can buy them online outside of Japan as well. (Here are just a couple of the results if you search for “haramaki” on Amazon) They’re pretty stretchy and forgiving, but just be warned that if you buy ones that actually come from Japan (like those pictured here) they’ll be Japanese size S, M & L. If you’re bigger than the average Japanese person, order a larger size than you would in Western stuff



And in case you thought I was kidding about being a happy user myownself, here are MY winter deskweapons of choice!

Major tip o’ the blog beanie to my journalist friend Helen Foster from Down Unda, who reminded me that it’s haramaki season again! Her recent post on Not Your Normal Health Blog is all about the health benefits of wearing a stomach warmer and why they work so well.

Haramaki Health Benefits: Why You Need A Stomach Scarf in Your Life.

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And if you need a good book to cozy up with in your new stomach warmer…

The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon!

“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

•

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Tokyo’s best-dressed nude statue: It’s that Santa time of year

Tokyo’s best-dressed nude statue changes into the jolly old elf for the month of December, but sometimes his costumers get a bit…creative.

When they started in the year 2000, the first few years were pretty tame…

Then someone gave him a pet reindeer

Which ushered in a period of hog-wild experimentation…

that provoked some sort of backlash, and he wasn’t Santa at all for a year

For a couple of years, caped Santa and pom-pom Santa ruled

But now it feels like they’ve come full circle

You can visit the peeing statue anytime you happen to be in Tokyo—he’s dressed in new togs every month—and he lives at the far end of the Shibuya-bound platform at the JR Hamamatsucho station.

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And if you know someone who might like to fly their favorite armchair to Japan…

The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon!

“This was a wonderful read.” —Nerd Girl Official

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

•

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

It’s that time of year again, when we visit The Peeing Santa!

Tokyo’s best-dressed nude statue changes into the jolly old peeing elf for the month of December, but sometimes his costumers get a bit…creative.

When they started in the year 2000, the first few years were pretty tame…

Then someone gave him a pet reindeer

Which ushered in a period of hog-wild experimentation…

that provoked some sort of backlash, and he wasn’t Santa at all for a year

For a couple of years, caped Santa and pom-pom Santa ruled

But now it feels like they’ve come full circle

You can visit the peeing statue anytime you happen to be in Tokyo—he’s dressed in new togs every month—and he lives at the far end of the Shibuya-bound platform at the JR Hamamatsucho station.

•

And if you know someone who might like to fly their favorite armchair to Japan…

The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon!

“This was a wonderful read.” —Nerd Girl Official

For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

•

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Japanese Lego Town Kits

[image error] OMG, look at the minifigs!

If you don’t have someone on your list who would kill for one of these, you need new friends.

[image error]

These Lego kits for building your very own Japanese town populated by Japanese minifigs from all walks of life are hilariously accurate, and they keep delivering the delight, right down to the tiniest details. For example…

[image error] The tamago egg omelet sushi is tied with a strip of nori



[image error] The legs of the big crab on the front of the building move, just like the animatronic ones on real crab restaurants



[image error] The delivery bike is parked right outside the ramen shop



[image error] The pickle shop has giant daikon radishes hanging out front



[image error] The yakitori restaurant has a crate of empty beer bottles that hasn’t been picked up yet



[image error] The tea shop has an old-fashioned roaster that has to be turned by hand by the ne’er-do-well husband as he sits in the sun and chats to everyone walking by

These are just a few of the ones someone I know binge-bought (possibly not even as a gift DON’T JUDGE) but there are lots more. All the individual kits come with random minifigs (even if they’re not shown).

[image error] And in case you’re still not convinced that these are the perfect authentic gift for your Japanophile, they even give you extra pink petal Legos so you can celebrate the end of cherry blossom season when they start to fall!

These awesome kits are the creation of UK company Buildiverse, but lucky for us, they ship worldwide. All photos are from their website.

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And if you know someone who might like to be in Japan via book instead…

The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon!

“This was a wonderful read.” —Nerd Girl Official

[image error] For three hundred years, a missing tea bowl passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, changing the lives of all who possess it… read more

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[image error]

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had