Japan Yarns Archives

What’s the Go With Japan’s Bootleg T-Shirts?

I was in the Tokyo suburb of Shibuya when I first laid eyes on one. Nothing about my bright and hectic surroundings felt familiar to me, until I recognised the spiky-haired cartoon hellraiser printed on a stranger’s T-shirt. But there was something not quite right about the Bart Simpson I was seeing. This Bart was…

ByEllen CookeSeptember 4, 2018

Features Japan Yarns

Free Cat Hugs With a Side of Fleas

The trainee clerk at 7/11 gives me a nervous smile as she fumbles my items through the scanner. I wait for her to see the last item on the bench. She pauses. She says something to me in Japanese which I don't understand, but I recognise the word I was expecting to hear – “Neko.”…

ByAngela KasprowiczAugust 24, 2018

Features Japan Yarns

Right Down to Your Birthday Suit

Wet necks stretch gracefully; curled tendrils trace cheekbones as heads balance above the steaming water. A wave ripples out as breasts, followed by hips and thighs, emerge and wade to the bath’s edge, swinging over onto the textured tiles. A pair of eyes follow with interest. A young girl watches the woman pass by, eyes…

ByAntonina HeymansonAugust 2, 2018

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Stamps With a Story

Tracing the intricate calligraphy, an old Japanese man smiles and looks over at his granddaughter. He downs the last of his long neck Asahi Super Dry and lets out a boisterous laugh. “I can’t believe you’ve taken up a pastime beloved by elderly Japanese men,” he chuckles. I am sitting with my friend Yayoi in…

ByIain SalvadorJuly 23, 2018

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Naked and Afraid: Transcending the Comfort Zone in Japan

Alone, naked and undeniably trapped is how I found myself spending my first night in Japan on my own. I had never imagined I’d be dipping into matters of deeply-rooted self consciousness so quickly – yet there I was, trapped in a communal shower block without a towel. Several ill-fated previous occurrences of the day…

BySarah MelitJune 3, 2018

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I Fucked a Stranger in a Japanese Love Hotel

I was trying to explain to him why the only phrase I knew in French besides, “Oui, oui,” was “Will you please take off your shirt for me darling?” He seemed perplexed. “There was this song that was huge in Australia in 2009 called ‘Parlez-Vous Français’ by this local band, Art Vs. Science. That phrase…

ByDani LouiseMarch 28, 2018

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Getting Naked With Japanese Businessmen

A sea of flaccid penises seemed to stare at me as I undressed before the parade of predominantly middle-aged men. It’s not often someone gains my admiration while emerging naked in a locker room, but there I was, commending their courage to let it all hang and not give a shit. Perhaps it’s a little…

ByAndy TranJanuary 18, 2018