I saw a Samurai Cry

The annoying sound of the 蝉 (semi – cicada) was all I heard while waiting for my colleagues at work, I’m at fault for arriving too early at our rendezvous point. The humid-hot summer and this annoying sound are one of the things which come into the mind of the Japanese folks during this time…

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Japan-Korea Row: Some things we should know

It has been weeks since news about Korea-Japan trade war emerged, this surprised me and a lot of my colleagues at work. A headline from some western independent media from twitter, and more about Korea boycotting Japanese products; I had to investigate and learn more because what the news is telling us is just about…

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令和(Peace through order)

令(REI) – coming from the word 命令 MEIREI which means order  and  和(WA) – from the word  平和 HEIWA which means peace together Japanese experts and scholars formed the word 令和(REIWA) which can be translated to peace through order or orderly peace. The future Emperor Naruhito`s reign will be called REIWA starting on the 1st…

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A new era for Japan

Whale meat sold like canned tuna, corporal punishment completely legal, no consumption tax, and smoking! Yes! inside trains, inside faculty rooms for schools, etc. some of the memorable things Japan had during the Showa Era 昭和時代 ( enlightened peace era ), this was 1926 until 1989 a period where most millennials like me were born,…

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Remember 3.11 Japan

Yesterday was the 8th anniversary of the tragic calamity which struck the land of the rising sun; 15896 dead, 6157 injured, and 2537 still missing as of this date a calamity believed to be the toughest and most difficult crisis of the country as Ex-Prime Minister Kan would describe. I can still recall my father’s…

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Japayuki: Filipinos as commodities

The common stereotypes about Filipinos in foreign countries that I personally know of are: In U.S. and UK if you are a Filipino you must be a Nurse, In China and Middle – East you are a Domestic Helper, but in Japan, if you are a Filipino, you must be a Japayuki. What is a…

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Japanese Christ and the Filipino Holy Trinity

Famous for its youthful fashion and culture,  Harajuku became a shocking sight of a terror-attack yesterday at the beginning of the year. 12:10 am Tokyo time during New Year’s day a car deliberately plowed into crowds of revelers injuring 9 people leaving 1 in critical condition. The suspect 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe allegedly did this heinous crime…

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What went wrong in the Philippine Penitentiary

      It was before Duterte’s Presidency when I saw History Channel’s Lou Ferrante Documentary about Gang Life in Prison, it featured the infamous NBP(New Bilibid Prison), the country’s street gangs, etc., but what caught my attention was the lavish lifestyle of a notorious inmate known as JayBee Sebastian. The documentary showed how much…

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虐め(IJIME) – Bullying

On the day he died my wife reminded him that he was supposed to come home early from an english class, He said “I know,I know I am off now!” , His voice stayed in my head ever since. When Yuhei did not come home after usual time we contacted the school and asked them to look…

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