Justin Velgus is in love with Japan. In addition to his over 60 published articles about Japan, he is author of "Ai, Love You? Finding Friendship, Romance, and Heartbreak in Japan." Buy it on Xlibris (http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-0122262049/Ai-Love-You.aspx) or on Amazon. With a stay on a military base near Hiroshima, study abroad in the wintery northern Tohoku, and travels through Sapporo, Sendai, Akita, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and more, he has lived the Japanese experience. He enjoys sharing his passion through writing about the culture and people of Japan, being featured on media outlets such as Japan Tourist, Japan Today, and GaijinPot. He is continuing his Japan studies and is currently working on his next feature book.
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- Kabuki With Kids In Kuromori
- December 12th, 2012Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events
- Last year when our class was told that we would be seeing a kabuki performance outside Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, I was not sure what to expect. I have seen traditional kabuki in Yamaguchi-ken three years ago and a more modern adaptation of kabuki at the Korakukan ... » Continue Reading
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- When The Travel Bug Bites
- December 5th, 2012Category: Travel
- While living in the US I volunteered two summers at an English school that had many students from China, Korea, and you guessed it, Japan. Although the students grew up with different languages, habits, and cultures, they all shared some common goals in their new Am ... » Continue Reading
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- My Japan Is Not Your Japan
- November 27th, 2012Category: Culture
- What is Japan? It really depends who you ask and when. Ask me what Japan is five years ago before I have experienced parts of it and I would tell you something generic and cheesy like “It is a land of mystery and beauty.” After living in Japan awhile, I developed a ... » Continue Reading
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- When Kawaii (Cute) Becomes Kowai (Scary) : Cuteness Overload in Japan
- November 14th, 2012Category: Culture
- One impossible thing to ignore in Japanese society is the obsession of everything cute. Walk into a Japanese female’s apartment and prepare to be bombarded by a cuteness explosion. The stuffed animals, pink bunny clock, and fuzzy slippers are what you might expe ... » Continue Reading
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- Why Japanese People Are Comfortable With Nakedness
- November 9th, 2012Category: Culture, Play
- Japanese are often described as polite, hard-working, yet passive or shy. But one area Japanese people are not hazukashii is when it comes to nudity. Feudal peasants wore nothing more than a loin cloth—and it seems not much has changed when we look at the sumo wrestle ... » Continue Reading
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- The Big 3 Jobs You’ll Do in Japan
- October 18th, 2012Category: Teaching in Japan, Translation, Work Tips
- You've made it to Japan and now you need to find a job! Find out what are the top 3 employment opportunities for foreigners new to Japan. Ahhhh, the dreamland of Japan. We all come here for our own reasons, but we are united in one common goal: making a living. A ... » Continue Reading
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- Kick Back and Karaoke: Your Guide on How to Do It
- October 16th, 2012Category: Culture
- When you mention the word karaoke in America, images of an awkward individual, embarrassingly trying to hold a tune in front of unforgiving eyes in a bar or at an event are conjured up. But when you mention karaoke in Japan, the response is “ikimasho” (let’s go). ... » Continue Reading
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- What Would Jizō Do? And Who is He?
- October 11th, 2012Category: Culture, Travel
- If you want to see a representation of a kami (deity) in Japan, all you need to do is pop into a dusty temple or sacred shrine. I’m talking about that mysterious red-cloth-wearing stone statue that we have all seen everywhere around Japan. Who is that and why should I c ... » Continue Reading
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- Why it’s so hard to have your family come to Japan
- October 5th, 2012Category: Travel
- I was studying at an international university in Japan in Spring when the weather was perfect for travel. Many students from all over the world at my school invited their friends and family to come see Japan and they came in droves. I also wanted to reunite with someone ... » Continue Reading
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- Yakuza: Kind-hearted Criminals or Monsters in Suits?
- October 4th, 2012Category: Culture
- Japan’s notorious home grown mafia, the Yakuza, is different. Sure they are a gang, but to compare them to Columbian drug lords or the Bloods or Crypts of Los Angeles is not fair. Operations, publicity, and even acceptance of Yakuza are on a different level than other c ... » Continue Reading
