When did Japanese Start Eating White Rice? For much of early Japanese history, white rice was not an everyday food for most people. Rice cultivation itself came to Japan over 2,000 years ago during the Yayoi period (around 300 BCE), but that did not mean everyone was eating

Columbia Tower Club Has Closed The Columbia Tower Club, located at the top of Seattle’s Columbia Center, has closed after 41 years. It was once one of Seattle’s icons, sitting high above the city in what was long known as the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Its

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 holds a unique and deeply symbolic place in Japanese cultural history—one that began not in a grand concert hall, but inside a prisoner-of-war camp during World War I. On June 1, 1918, at the Bando Prisoner-of-War Camp

One comment I saw said: “It’s hard for President Trump to make key decisions on Iran when he doesn’t have enough intelligence.” That got me thinking. If you wait until you have all the information in the world before making a decision, your business is probably already behind.

May 5 vs March 3 — Holiday vs Tradition in Japan In Japan, two well-known days celebrate children: May 5 and March 3. At first glance, they seem balanced—one for boys and one for girls. But there is a key difference. May 5, known as Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day), is a national

What Does “Kunoichi” Really Mean? The word kunoichi is often translated as “female ninja.” But the real meaning is a bit more interesting—and very Japanese. “Kunoichi” is not a direct word for a profession. It is actually a form of wordplay. If you look at the kanji for

HOKA and On Are Playing Nike’s Original Game When Nike started, it wasn’t a giant. It was a problem solver. Runners wanted lighter, faster shoes, and Bill Bowermanexperimented with new designs—famously using a waffle iron to create better traction. The focus was simple:

Kansai International Airport should have been built off Kobe, not where it is today. The decision to move the airport away from Kobe was not because it was impossible—it was because local politicians did not want it. As a result, Japan chose a more complicated and expensive

Act Early on PC Issues — PSPINC Service Introduction Computers and networks usually work fine—until they suddenly don’t. When problems hit, business can come to a halt. That’s why early action is critical. PSPINC offers a special service for new customers: 2 hours for $99,

Japan Learned From Disaster When the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake hit in 1995, many areas lost water service for weeks or even months. From that painful experience, Japan learned an important lesson: after a major earthquake, water is life. Today, Tokyo has underground emergency

When Vending Machines Become Lifelines Japan is famous for its vending machines—found on nearly every street corner. But beyond convenience, some of these machines serve a much more important role during emergencies. After disasters like the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake,

Tengu (天狗) are one of the most famous supernatural beings in Japanese folklore. They are usually classified as Yokai (妖怪), but they are much more complicated than simple monsters. Originally, the name Tengu came from ancient China. The Chinese creature Tiangou (“Heavenly

Japan being an island nation made an enormous difference in how Japanese culture developed — much like the Galápagos Islands evolved separately from the mainland. Because Japan was geographically isolated by the sea, outside influences entered slowly and selectively. Ideas from

Japan’s public bath culture was once very different from what many people imagine today. Until the late Edo period and even into the early Meiji Restoration era, mixed-gender public baths (混浴 / konyoku) were common throughout Japan. Men, women, and even children often bathed

Mazda’s Gram Strategy Mazda is famous for its “Gram Strategy,” the idea of reducing car weight one gram at a time. Instead of only looking for big weight reductions, Mazda engineers examine every part: bolts, mirrors, seats, brackets, body panels, and even small interior

My First Car? My first car was a 1970 Toyota Corona four-door sedan. And yes — it had a column shifter. Many younger people today may never have seen one. The gear shift was attached to the steering column instead of the floor, and the front seat was a full bench seat. Cars

Anime and Car Otaku Post The Toyota AE86 Corolla Levin became world famous through the anime and movie Initial D. For many people around the world, the AE86 and the Toyota 4A-GE engine became symbols of Japanese car culture itself. The lightweight rear-wheel-drive Corolla

Many people outside Japan simplify Japanese history by saying, “Japanese people originally came from China or Korea.” That is only partially true and ignores thousands of years of Japan’s own prehistoric history. Long before large-scale migration from the Asian continent, people

The Airplane Cannot Die In the commercial airline world, even large 4-engine passenger jets are slowly disappearing. Aircraft like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 became too expensive to operate compared to newer twin-engine airplanes that burn less fuel and require less

Japan is slowly changing its long-standing defense policies and beginning to export weapons and military technology to friendly nations. This is a major shift for a country that maintained a very strict pacifist position after World War II. From a business point of view, this