You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every Saturday for a new post or read more on her website here!
If I ever have a craving for fish, I just have to stand out in front of my house and wait for a fisherman to drive by (which won’t take too long since I live on an island). Last Monday I was waiting outside with my husband to be picked up for a work party when the taxi driver (who is also a fisherman) drove by. He stopped his little K-truck and asked if we wanted some fish. I said yes and he proceeded to fill a plastic grocery bag with around 20 flying fish, 4 long scary looking fish, 3 or so pokey fish, and a weird purple/blue crab (sorry, he said the names in Japanese so quickly that I didn’t manage to remember them all. Any fish experts, please tell me what they are in the comments section below).
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japan’s summertime towelket pillowcases are even better with the addition of Ghibli stars【Photos】
Should you add tartar sauce to Japanese curry rice? CoCo Ichi makes diners an unusual offer
Seaside scenery, history, and so many desserts on Yokohama’s Akai Kutsu【Japan Loop Buses】
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day
Suntory x Super Mario collaboration creates a clever way to transform into Mario【Videos】
10 crazy pizzas from Japan
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Energy Milk from Japan is the new way to power up your day
The 10 best anime of the fall season, according to Japanese otaku
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Suntory x Super Mario collaboration creates a clever way to transform into Mario【Videos】
10 crazy pizzas from Japan
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Energy Milk from Japan is the new way to power up your day
The 10 best anime of the fall season, according to Japanese otaku
Video claims that if you can read a certain font, you are probably not Japanese【Video】
Father and son dissect a gachapon capsule toy machine to show us its magical insides【Video】
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Here are Japan’s most-sung karaoke songs in 2022 from karaoke system Joysound
Alcohol Made with Fermented Wasps Gives New Meaning to the Phrase “Get Your Buzz On”
Ghibli Park now selling “Grilled Frogs” from food cart in Valley of Witches
Unmistakable Louis Vuitton Monogram design may have been inspired by Japanese family crests
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers