The plates circulated like a runway at fashion week, except instead of haute couture, the models were dressed in shades of raw fish, and instead of leggy models, they were small balls of rice. I imagine I felt the same way at this Shinjuku sushi restaurant as I would have at a high-end fashion show,…
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…
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.”…
Australians love Japan. We crave its sushi, we embrace getting pissed at karaoke, we marvel at the novelty of being naked in a public bathhouse. We also love to shred the powder that coats the mountains of the country’s many ski destinations. This is especially true of Hakuba, one of the most accessible snow resorts…
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…
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…
On a late-night train, there was a girl. I faintly recall a scarf, round cheeks and bangs long enough that they caught on her eyelashes. Her hands fluttered to the cadence of her voice. Her leg was warm against mine.
I don’t remember her name.
One of the senior girls from Osaka University’s karate club…
Coco Pink Princess is a seven-year-old Instafamous trendsetter from Fukushima. Her effortless construction of outfits, sassy attitude and undeniable kawaii (cute) factor means that she is loved by over 420,000 followers. Having attracted attention from Vogue, VICE and NYLON magazine, she represents the new-school of Harajuku fashion.
Before the rise of social media introduced budding…
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…
They say that opposites attract, but every day, I'm realising that shit attracts shit. For example, I'm using Notepad to write this because Word isn't working on my computer – funny how life seems to enjoy aligning every aspect, right down to even the most irrelevant.
I had my day planned, and for it to…
It’s dark outside, and I’ve found myself bent over a toilet seat with a hand on my bum and a foot in my face. Grunting softly, my companion pushes harder on my exposed posterior – the Band-Aid just won’t stay put. Meanwhile, our other accomplice is gingerly bandaging up her ankle, inspecting for any signs…
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…