Five teleworking solutions to help you bring work home
December 21, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
Two and a half years ago, when the world was young and words like “Covid”, “pandemic” or “vaccination passport” weren’t part of everyone’s vocabulary, we published a post about a ...
The other side of Rubik’s Cube: Five Japanese variations of the famous 3D puzzle
October 26, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
I’m old enough to remember when Rubik’s Cube came out: it was in 1981 and suddenly everyone everywhere was talking about that amazing puzzle that put to test even the highest intelligence. Since ...
The cup that launched 1,000 ramen: 5 products celebrating 50 years of Cup Noodles
September 30, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
The history of their creator himself is not a rags-to-riches story but there is certainly something dramatic in the tale of the first instant ramen, the Nissin Chikin Ramen. A product of the ...
Sports shoes reimagined: Gundam, indigo dye, and a dog named Hachiko
September 29, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
One of the things that amazes me in Japan is people’s weird relationship to shoes. This is a strange thing to say but I believe I’ve been here enough to have earned the right to not stand in awe ...
Mount Fuji Eraser
The Mount Fuji Eraser is a fun and clever way to bring this icon of Japan into your home or work stationery set. As you use the cuboid eraser, the shape of Fuji gradually comes into view and you find yourself holding Japan's most famous peak.
Tokyo 2020/2021 Paralympics: Best Someity merchandise
August 24, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
So the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, also known as the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, came and went and, as expected, were enjoyed by the people who wanted to be enjoyed and were ignored by those who didn’t care ...
Get ready for Tokyo 2020 with the best Olympics merchandise
July 20, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
We have now entered the final countdown until the second Tokyo Summer Olympics: there are just days left before the Games that, while actually happening in 2021, are still called “Tokyo 2020” to ...
It’s better to light a candle: Unique Japanese food and drink replica candles
June 30, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
It shouldn’t really surprise anyone with an interest in Japan: people here do pretty much everything their own way, so why wouldn’t they do the same with candles? Yes, there is such a thing as a ...
The secret life of masks: Things to do with your face masks when not wearing them
June 2, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
When I first wrote an article about masks in this blog in April 2020, I didn’t think masks would be still a thing one year later -- I mean, I knew they would still be a thing in Japan, as they ...
Kaltech Turned K Wearable Personal Disinfectant
Portable air-cleaning and deodorizing device
A little help from the kami: Shinto amulets for social media
June 1, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
We have mentioned it before on this blog that one of the many things that surprise first- (and often second- and third-) time visitors to Japan is the coexistence of two religions, sometimes ...
Japanese rainy season: Surviving the “plum rain”
May 28, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
The word “monsoon” is hardly ever used in Japan; the Japanese prefer for their rainy season the more poetic “tsuyu.” which means “plum rain” and actually comes from an 8th-century ...
The real Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba sword by Japanese sword expert Paul Martin
April 30, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
The world of Japanese swords, collectively known as “katana” or “samurai swords,” is a complex one. It encompasses both the martial artists who study traditional swordsmanship either in its ...
Like many other aspects of Japanese culture, coffee became a thing in the islands back in the Edo period (1600-1863) and like many other aspects of Japanese culture that are not native, it had to go ...
Despite the pandemic, Super Nintendo World opens promising bonanza of Mario fun
March 31, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
As the platitude says, the Japanese Islands are like the Galapagos Islands: an ecosystem unlike anything else you will see anywhere else in the world. And even those of us who are tired of all the ...
Carrying a torch for Tokyo: How to enjoy the Olympic Torch Relay from home
March 30, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
My wife says I’m a “tamatama Girishajin” -- a “Greek by accident” -- and, generally speaking, I don’t have a problem with this rendering but I often find myself identifying with another ...
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba season 2 — The swords, the masks, the cameras!
March 3, 2021
/Grigoris Miliaresis
It’s been exactly three months since we presented a roundup of merchandise based on the manga and anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and in the meantime, the franchise became even bigger ...