This is a story based off of a writing prompt from Reddit, specifically the subreddit r/WritingPrompts. The Prompt reads as follows: ” A medieval European knight somehow ends up in feudal Japan. With nowhere to go in the foreign land he decides to settle down in a forest. Outside this forest sits a village; and…
Over the spring break, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan with my school. I would like to share with you my top three highlights of the trip. We stayed in Tokyo for three nights, Yokohama for one night, Hakone for one night, Fuji Area for one night, and Kyoto for two nights for…
It can be hard spending spring break at home while photos of your friends in different countries pop up on your Facebook feed. Even though there’s only a days left of break, it’s not too late to do something exciting right in our city. Check out the weekend preview for some inspiration. However, if you’re still…
In a way, I think the sight of Mt. Fuji in the distance from Tokyo is a parallel to the scenery the Rocky Mountains provide for Calgary. Let’s take a look at that sunset. Maybe we’ll see an experience like that perhaps one day? Check out the timelapse archive here.
It was an unproductive day on the Internet. You’re just minding your own business, scrolling through some hilarious cat pictures. Then it hits you. Something so amazing and extraordinary that you stop and wonder, “Why have I never seen this before?” This was one of those moments for me. Jed Henry, an amazing illustrator, and…
The Teppanyaki-style restaurant Sakana Grill is one of my favourite places to eat, and for a good reason. First of all, the menu is large, creative and accommodating to everyone. I recommend ordering an Udon Noodle soup, a sushi boat or even some Teriyaki Chicken. I personally guarantee that they are good. Overall the food…
An Omatsuri, or a traditional festival, is a good display of the Japanese culture and lifestyle beyond the modern likes of Anime and Manga. With that in mind, no wonder that the third year of the Calgary Japanese Festival Omatsuri expanded many patrons’ horizons on their knowledge of Japan. Happi coats: Being a admissions and food ticket…
Been to Chinatown? Perhaps you’ll find some of these symbolic figurines in many shops at Dragon City Mall. Were you at a bubble tea place recently? You’ve probably met one of these cats. I’ve been at a loss of words to describe this cat that greets customers in with the charm. Is it a “fortune cat”,…
What is so good about manga and anime? Why do we read it? Why do we watch it? At first glance it seems like an over the top comic book with completely unrealistic characters but once you read a really good manga for the first time, you’ll find yourself hooked in the masterful creations of…
Urban planning here in Calgary need to account for the parking crunch; in Japan, bike storage is gobbling up prime real estate that is hard to come by in such an urbanized country. Engineers created underground parkades to solve the car crunch, so now they have devised a method to park all those bicycles and…
Okay, it’s not quite what you’re thinking. Yet it fits perfectly with the Japanese theme of Otafest (officially my favorite convention now, hehe). Shogun Teppanyaki Grill was my lunch choice on the Sunday of that long weekend, partly because I didn’t have a volunteer shift that day (no free food), but mostly because four food trucks…
If you head to any Asian supermarkets in Calgary, you’re likely to see one of these large jars sitting on shelves sitting along with other tea products instead of with jams. The contents are much more reminiscent of a marmalade than something to make “tea” with. The doubts are definitely reasonable – Citron tea, yujacha (유자차 in Hangul), is…
I am sure that you have that bunch of Asian kids in your school that talk about Anime all the time. It seems like that they are having so much fun but unfortunately, even though they are speaking English (sometimes they would not be), you may still feel like you don’t understand a word they…
Alice in Wonderland has been definitely one of my favourite stories of all time. Now, I know Japan has some pretty amazing stuff – but this… this is beyond amazing! The designers Eiichi Maruyama and Katsunori Suzuki were able to recreate Lewis Carroll’s renowned work into a real world restaurant/cafe (unfortunately, it is in Japan!) Here is the pictorial evidence……
Over the last several months, I’ve seen YAA grow tremendously, and now, I can look back at 2,000 (!!!) posts on virtually any topic imaginable – the arts, news, philosophy, photography, religion, school, science, technology, random stuff; you name it.