Craig Mod: Shining a Light on the Mundane

Craig Mod has been a resident of Japan for over 20 years, writer and photographer for almost as long and a walker for longer. He chooses traveling on foot over trains and pizza toast over (nearly) everything. This all comes together in his book Kissa by Kissa, a fantastic read that I first came across in a tiny kissaten (Japanese-style café) in Hakodate, Hokkaido. And as it turned out, it was placed there by the man himself.

Mod and I dialed in on a Monday morning and spoke about everything from walking to membership programs to the Iwate city of Morioka.

Unconventional Living Through Special Projects

Mod, an accomplished author and writer with bylines in The New York Times, Eaters and The Atlantic, has a candid writing style that reads like a letter from a friend. Filled with observations and anecdotes, his writings bring stories to the

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Lice at Hotel Testicle – The Comedic Writings of Hiraga Gennai

In the mid-18th century, Edo (modern-day Tokyo) had over 1 million inhabitants, making it the largest city in the world. That didn’t make it the best place to live, though. The city was constantly plagued by fires, famines and plagues, forcing the citizens of Japan’s capital to find joy wherever they could. So, they overwhelmingly went looking for it in books. High literacy among Edo commoners in the 1700s created a market for mass production of literature and, with it, the country’s first bestselling author: Hiraga Gennai, also known as Japan’s Leonardo da Vinci — that is, if da Vinci enjoyed puns and fart jokes.

Portrait of Hiraga Gennai, by Nakamaru Seijuro, Waseda University Library, Japan (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Gennai’s Lousy Educational Jokes

Born the son of a low-ranking samurai in 1729, Gennai eventually becomes a ronin and self-taught expert at just about everything. He’s credited with inventing the

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Opinions | You Can Never Be Too Skinny in Japan

As far as I can remember, I would return to Japan from a foreign country and be hit with the same reverse culture shock: everyone here is so darn skinny.

Japanese people being quite thin is no secret, and it’s attributable to Japan’s healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as genetics. With balanced meals consisting of seasonal fish, meats and vegetables, and a habit of walking everywhere in the big cities, it makes Japanese people generally feel lighter than Westerners. What also looms large, though, is the sheer pressure to be thin in Japan. From the sly comments about weight to aesthetic salons in every corner of Tokyo, diet culture can be exhausting and harmful, especially for young women. So, what is the culture around dieting in Japan? And what harm does it cause?

The Skinny Truth

According to the 2019 Japanese National Health and Nutrition survey11.5% of Japanese

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The world’s most powerful passports for 2023

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CNN
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The jiggling and jostling atop the global passport rankings for 2023 just got a little more interesting.

For five long years, Japan has been sitting pretty in the No.1 position in the Henley Passport Index, which measures global travel freedom in terms of how much visa-free and visa-on-demand access the world’s different citizens enjoy.

But for summer 2023, Japan’s been knocked down into a third place and the new titleholder is Singapore, whose citizens are able to visit 193 destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free.

And while Asia has long dominated the top of the leaderboard in the index created by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm

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8 Sailor Moon Real-Life Locations in Tokyo

To the excitement of sailor Moon fans all over the world, the second half of Sailor Moon Cosmos was just released at the end of June. The animated film, released in two parts, is a direct sequel to Sailor Moon Eternal and serve as a finale to Sailor Moon Crystal. To celebrate the release of the final installment of the reboot series, here’s a list of real-life places that served as a model for the popular series.

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Azabu-Juban

sailor Moon takes place in a district called Juban, and its real-life counterpart, Azabu-Juban, inspired much of the retro-romantic backdrop we know and love in the 1990s franchise. Located in the Minato ward, it’s a high-end shopping and residential district that is also laid-back and surprisingly cozy. The neighborhood’s main shopping street sports over 300 shops, many of which are traditional and long-standing, like Mamegen, which was established in 1865.

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Ryuchell Found Dead at the Agency’s Office

In this week’s news roundup, we report on the tragic death of television personality Ryuchell (stylized as Ryuchell). The 27-year-old social media influencer and LGBTQ advocate was found dead by their manager at the agency’s office in Tokyo on Wednesday. Police are investigating whether the celebrity died by suicide. Also this week, we take a closer look at the landmark decisions made by the Japanese Supreme Court regarding transgender rights. Several people died as parts of Japan experience torrential downpours. Prosecutors announce they are going to drag out the Iwao Hakamada case. A teenage Canadian tourist defaces a 1,200-year-old temple. And Naomi Osaka celebrates the birth of her first child.

TV Personality Ryuchell Dies at 27

Ryuji Higa, known professionally as Ryuchell, passed away on Wednesday at the age of just 27. The former model, singer and activist was discovered unconscious by their manager at the office of an

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CBSA prepares for Canada and US Independence Day weekend travel surge

With Canada Day and US Independence Day approaching, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has shared a reminder and expected border procedures for travelers in order to have a smoother trip traveling between the two countries.

According to the reminder issued on Monday, CBSA employees will be monitoring travelers to ensure the prevention of entry of harmful goods into Canada.

CBSA says that its employees facilitated the arrival of over 60 million travelers in 2022 while keeping more than 1,100 firearms and 24,400 prohibited weapons off the streets and seized over 41,000 kg of illegal drugs.

To ensure a smooth border crossing experience, CBSA recommends considering the following tips:


Plan ahead: Check the border wait times web page and avoid traveling during the peak hours – Monday of holiday long weekends tend to be the busiest – instead, cross the border during non-peak hours such as early in

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What’s New in Tokyo in July 2023

Just at the tail end of June, the iconic guitar company Fender opened a flagship store in Harajuku. The next day, the apparel brand Ugg opened its inaugural flagship store in Asia, also in Harajuku. In Uehara, a new stylish commercial complex named Cabo opens, while in Yoyogi, there’s a new facility dedicated to shogi, Japanese chess. This and more in our monthly showcase of what’s new in Tokyo.

Ugg Flagship Store in Harajuku

Ugg (stylized as UGG) is a lifestyle brand based in Southern California with a legion of fans all over the world. Renowned for its comfy beige sheepskin boots, the brand also sells other footwear and casual clothes that emulate the laidback culture seen in both California and Australia (where the company founders are from). On July 1, Ugg opened a flagship store in Harajuku, its first in Asia. The interior design aims to showcase the Californian

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The Music and Community of Sado Island’s Earth Celebration Festival

Sado Island’s Earth Celebration, one of Japan’s most anticipated music festivals, welcomes musicians, artists and spectators from around Japan and the world every August. In 2019, the event brought around 35,000 attendees to the island.

This year will mark the festival’s 36th anniversary, and festivalgoers will be spoiled for choice with a myriad of activities and performances planned to take place from August 18 to 20, 2023.

Photo by Kota Yoshida

The Beat of Sado Island

While Earth Celebration is a music festival at its core, the event also features outdoor activities, markets and cultural events inspired by Sado Island. The Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble and Sado city hosted the event, which started as an initiative to showcase and share the unique local culture of this region of Niigata Prefecture. In the fall 1983 edition of “Kodo,” the taiko group’s newsletter, founding member and spiritual pillar Toshio Kawauchi discussed

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Namale Resort & Spa Named a Top Resort in the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023

SAVUSAVU, Fiji, June 21, 2023 /CNW/ — Namale Resort & Spa, a leading luxury resort in the South Pacific, is thrilled to announce its outstanding recognition in the prestigious Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards – Asia Pacific 2023. The resort received accolades ranking in the top South Pacific Resorts and received #1 in South Pacific Resort Pools, a testament to its unparalleled commitment to excellence and guest satisfaction.

Namale Resort & Spa Logo (PRNewsfoto/Namale Resort & Spa)

Namale Resort & Spa Logo (PRNewsfoto/Namale Resort & Spa)

With sweeping ocean views and world-class amenities that include award-winning spa hydrotherapy and a 4:1 staff-to-guest ratio, Namale Resort & Spa is a haven for travelers seeking relaxation, adventure and luxury in a tropical paradise.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized as one of the top resorts in the South Pacific,” said Co-General Manager Nowdla Keefe. “These awards showcase the hard work and dedication of our entire team who consistently went

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