Category Archives: fun links

Bento have hit the states! Ready to make your own?

Posted on January 26, 2011 by tnguyen3729

Here’s a brief history of and some great resources for getting started on bento-making, whether it’s in Japan or here in America. Bento is the Japanese version of a packed lunch, typically taken to work and school by adults and … Continue reading →

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Fresh Ink: Ten Takes on Chinese Tradition (via 茶有の者 – A Man with Tea)

Posted on January 23, 2011 by LM

For the Asian Studies and art historians/artists who read this blog, this is an excellent article on a current exhibit on Chinese art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. A Man with Tea is a excellent Asian art/media … Continue reading →

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FLF: Nothing like human sacrifice to top off a good castle!

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Paula

For most, talk of human sacrifice brings to mind the Pre-Columbian Americas, such as Aztec sacrifices to the sun god of war, Huitzilopochtli, but this tradition has taken many forms all over the world. Earlier last year Pink Tentacle featured … Continue reading →

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Fun Link Friday: Losing Time to Books Ngram Viewer

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Paula

Google Labs introduced a new feature a little while back called the Books Ngram Viewer, which has a lot of interesting potential for a variety of uses (including just plain for fun!). Since I’m no expert in statistics, it’s mostly … Continue reading →

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Fun Link Friday: Stuff You Missed in History Class

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Paula

Most of my friends know that I’ve been late to get on the technology train in a lot of departments- not getting an iPod, refusing to switch browsers to Firefox, not liking Blu-ray etc. But I’ve discovered one of the … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Paula

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from us here at What can I do with a B.A. in Japanese Studies ! Celebrate Christmas with an obscenely overdecorated tree! The Queen’s Tower Plaza tree in Yokohama I photographed (above) last year was covered … Continue reading →

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Exploring History in Japanese Castles

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Paula

One look at my keychain (mostly chains, very few keys) will alert you to the fact that I am a huge castle nerd. Besides the fact that medieval Japan is my research specialty (and IMO the coolest time period ever, … Continue reading →

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Smart vending machines make corporate big brother a little more creepy

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Paula

Japan is known worldwide for its innovative, if not sometimes bizarre, ventures into new technology. It’s also known for having vending machines on almost every block in most urban areas, carrying everything from bottled drinks to women’s underwear (though the … Continue reading →

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Fun Link Friday: Take a Trip to Cat Island!

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Paula

If our post on Sushi cat and デブ猫 was any indication, or perhaps the enormously popular antics of Maru-chan, you already know that Japan has a ridiculous and wide-spread love of adorable cats. Honestly, most of us here at Shinpai … Continue reading →

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Done with turkey? Now try people!

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Paula

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! I’m sure you’re all still in a food-coma, or if you aren’t, you’re out frantically shopping for deals on Black Friday, so today we have some brief links for you that highlight some of … Continue reading →

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