Tokyo Vice

Just finished Jake Adelstein's book Tokyo Vice on his years as a reported for the Yomiuri, the Japanese language one not the English Daily Yomiuri.

A very interesting look at working on the police beat for a major newspaper. Adelstein is the only non-Japanese reporter to have been in the press club at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

I was clued into this one by Mark Schreiber's review in the Japan Times.

This is one I can recommend reading.

Big Blade!!!

When I first saw one of these in action in the City Hunter 2 TV series I really wanted to do an entry on it.

soba-giri bōchō 蕎麦切包丁

But try to find good information on a specialized knife for making soba in English!

Luckily many years later Nozaki Hiromitsu's book Japanese Kitchen Knives is published and has two pages on the mighty blade! OK so one page is a picture, but that photo is worth plenty.

Good TV

This week I have an entry on the NHK Taiga Drama shows which I have been watching on local TV since Hideyoshi was broadcast in 1996, I had bought my first TV in late 1995 and quickly discovered San Francisco Bay Area broadcasts of subtitled Japanese TV programs.

Taiga dorama (Taiga Drama) 大河ドラマ

Tales Begun on the Night of the Rat

Here is one that is included only because it is the source for a series of tales mentioned in an anime.

Something for the yōkai fans:

Kasshi-yawa ("Tales Begun on the Night of the Rat") 甲子夜話

Busy week, too many chores to get caught up on.

I'll try to have more entries next week.

Something for the fujoshi

I have two entries on fan terminology of special interest to the ladies out there who identify as fujoshi.


Boys Love ボーイズ ラブ

shōnen ai (boy's love) 少年愛


I have also added a new subdivision in the topical index:

Sounds

Bad stone

This week I only have one entry. Far too much happening to be able to work on more this weekend. I'll try to do some additional ones this week and upload them next weekend.

But this is a supernatural item that shows up in Ghost Slayers Ayashi and is actually a story I heard about as a grade schooler growing up in California in the 1950s.

sesshôseki 殺生石

Deadly and tasty

Two new entries this week. One a kami you don't want as a guest and the 5th taste which you do want to enjoy.

Hōsō no kami (smallpox kami) 疱瘡神

umami (flavor) 旨味