Category Archives: culture

Medeta ga no yohoi

Posted on February 24, 2015 by mikeplugh

For the last several months NHK has been airing one of its very popular “asadora” telenovelas, called Massan. The drama is set in Japan’s Taisho period (1912 – 1926), a time when Japan was adjusting to a newly opened society, … Continue reading →

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The Animal in Man

Posted on July 30, 2013 by mikeplugh

Warning: This is a critique of the new film “The Wolverine” and it includes spoilers. In 1982, as an 11-year old, I bought my first X-Men comic. It was issue #161, published in September of that year. Not long after … Continue reading →

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No really, the map is not the territory, people.

Posted on September 30, 2012 by mikeplugh

Disputes between nations over territory is nothing new. It’s the stuff of ancient wars, tribal conflicts, and modern diplomatic headaches. Kashmir is a high profile example, as is the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea, to say nothing of Israel/Palestine. Part … Continue reading →

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Facebookus Interruptis

Posted on September 21, 2012 by mikeplugh

With a hat tip to my friend Alix Howard, news that a hostage taker in Pittsburgh has been “live-blogging” his own evolving situation has crossed my desk. My first thought was that we’re seeing a 2012 version of Dog Day … Continue reading →

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Didn’t See That Coming – Ichiro Edition

Posted on July 24, 2012 by mikeplugh

Over the last several years, my fascination with social media, including most of my foray into blogging and tweeting, has been related to the sports world and the notion of fandom in that sense. A lot of the lessons I’ve … Continue reading →

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West#FAILia

Posted on May 2, 2012 by mikeplugh

In the mid-17th century, a series of treaties were signed in Europe to end a raging era of internal conflict that included the Holy Roman Empire and various kingdoms across the continent. The general agreement has been called the Treaty … Continue reading →

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Parking and Japanese Time

Posted on April 28, 2012 by mikeplugh

Since I moved to Japan 8 years ago, several things have continued to elude me in terms of my own cultural behaviors and successful integration. One of those things is parking. “Parking,” you say? Yes, parking. It’s a seemingly innocuous … Continue reading →

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