Traditions are wonderful. I am in fact quite conservative when it comes to my nation’s traditions. But if I’m feeling sad because of a tradition, what good is it doing me? And when I change, am I losing part of what makes me me? blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/summertime...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aVN... Jujutsu Whatsit!? The Japanese spirituality hiding in your favorite anime. From AnimeNYC 2025! by @mattalt.bsky.social and @hirokoyoda.bsky.social

I gave a talk about how anime can be a lens into Japanese spiritual traditions! Our spirituality is so subtle that you might miss these references, even if you’re a fan of a given show or film. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aVN...

@hirokoyoda.bsky.social’s talk from AnimeNYC 2025 about spirituality in anime is now online! Details here! blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/animated-s...

I gave a talk at AnimeNYC 2025 about Japanese spiritual traditions hiding in plain sight in your favorite anime series, from Jujutsu Kaisen and DanDaDan to Totoro and even Gundam! Now the video is online — check out my newsletter for info! blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/animated-s...

I will be giving a talk at AnimeNYC! The title is “Jujutsu Whatsit?” I’ll use situations from many anime shows and films to explain Japan’s spiritual traditions. See you on Saturday 8/23, 4:30pm in room 1A15! animenyc.com/programming/...

Ever notice how many Japanese claim not to be religious at all? It’s because the spiritual and secular blend so seamlessly here. Like, for instance, noodles! blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/spiritual-...

I will be giving a talk at AnimeNYC! The title is “Jujutsu Whatsit?” I’ll use situations from many anime shows and films to explain Japan’s spiritual traditions. See you on Saturday 8/23, 4:30pm in room 1A15! animenyc.com/programming/...

A story about how going offline can reconnect you in unexpected ways! blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/nakama

One of the things I love about the Japanese worldview is that it helps us remember that death might not be the end we think it is. When we remember those we’ve lost, we also remember that they are and always will be there for us. blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/sightseein...

Excited to be judging the translation award category again this year, with @hirokoyoda.bsky.social !

When you look at mountains, the first thing that probably strikes you is their beauty. You may think, what a great place to go climbing, or have a picnic. But there is another way of looking at the mountains in Japan. One not rooted in leisure, but spirituality. blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/searching-...

Last month, @hirokoyoda.bsky.social and I traveled to rural San’in (Shimane & Tottori). We wrote a pair of interlinked essays about our experiences there: Searching for a Lost Kami blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/searching-... Empire of Monsters blog.pureinventionbook.com/p/empire-of-...

Returning as Translation Judges for the 2025 American Manga Awards will be authors/translators Hiroko Yoda @hirokoyoda.bsky.social and @mattalt.bsky.social. Hiroko and Matt will also be special guests at Anime NYC in August and Matt will be returning as MC at the Manga Awards too!

I'm so excited to read this book by @hirokoyoda.bsky.social when it's released. In the meantime I'd definitely recommend following her here and on her Substack.

My latest newsletter is all about my new book! blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/eight-mill...

I wrote a book! "Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan" drops in December. I traveled Japan, exploring our patchwork of spiritual traditions: Shinto, Buddhist, Shugendo, and more. Pre-order here. Thanks! www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735293...

@hirokoyoda.bsky.social and I make an appearance in this essay by Aatish Taseer for the New York Times Style Magazine. They sent him to Japan to uncover the role monsters play in Japanese culture. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/t...

There are a lot of galaxy-brain moments in @hirokoyoda.bsky.social’s history of ikigai in Japanese and English. Most mind-blowing was how ikigai was seen as potentially dangerous, not so long ago. blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/ikigai-vs-...

“Ikigai” just might be the West's favorite Japanese word at the moment. But I’ve noticed its use differs subtly yet profoundly between the two languages. So I decided to try and unravel how an otherwise unremarkable word became Japan’s biggest cultural export. blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/ikigai-vs-...

Join @patrickmacias.bsky.social and I on a 148,000 light year journey through the Space Battleship Yamato exhibition in Shibuya: www.tokyoscope.blog/p/pure-tokyo...

Getting cultural whiplash from this crazy crossover, as seen on @patrickmacias.bsky.social's newsletter: www.tokyoscope.blog/p/tokyoscope...)

This week marks fifty-five years since a group of manga fans hijacked a Japan Airlines flight. Yes, you read that right. And here's why that incredibly strange moment is relevant to the political dystopia we're all living through now: blog.pureinventionbook.com/p/the-revolu...

全国サクラマップ　地図と写真で見る桜前線2025🌸 www.asahi.com/special/phot... #桜 の季節がやってきました。 見ごろを迎えた各地の様子を、全国で取材する記者が撮影し、地図と写真でお伝えします。 #お花見 の計画にもご活用ください🌸 #サクラ

Podcast drip! @patrickmacias.bsky.social and I pre-game the Yamato exhibition: www.tokyoscope.blog/p/pure-tokyo...

From today's Times. "Assassin’s Creed Shadows" let players run wild in shrines and temples and destroy them. They patched it out, but it was unforgivable to begin with. They wouldn't have disrespected a church or synagogue. Maybe they thought Japanese wouldn't notice or mind. We do. Very much.

As Americans and Brits experienced the Summer of Love in 1967, Japan was swept by what might be called The Year of the Kaiju. These photos give a taste of how ever-present kaiju were in society that year, from schoolyards to labor protests.

Today is the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Let me tell you a story about a Shinto priest who returned to the evacuation zone to tend to shrines cut off from human contact by fallout. Through his struggle you can sense how much we lost on 3/11. blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/the-priest...

Tonight is the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo firebombings. This gingko tree was burned by incendiaries but sheltered some people.

What's that supposed to mean?🤣

The loss of two beautiful trees near my house got me thinking about how to persevere in trying times. blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/flying-plu...

A show I was on last year has been translated into English, and will be airing on NHK World! "Fringe Histories: Japonism," traces the global rise of Japan's pop culture. For US folks, 11:10pm tonite PST, or 11:10am Sat PST. Live feed here: www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...

Super excited to announce that the German editions of Yokai Attack and Yurei Attack are out! Japanischen monsters und geisters! 👺👻 🧵

Loving the covers of the German editions of @hirokoyoda.bsky.social's and my "Yokai Attack!" and "Yurei Attack!" They're also available on Amazon US for those who want to practice their German.

I was interviewed by BBC about Izumo Grand Shrine as a spot for matchmaking. You might believe, or might not. But as I say, belief isn’t core to Japanese spirituality. It’s about respect and gratitude. Read it here, and Happy Valentines Day! 　 www.bbc.com/travel/artic...

What a fun and timely column by @yutranslates.bsky.social. Thank you for mentioning my newsletter!

I've been studying traditional sewing. Today my classmates and I participated in a ritual to thank our sewing needles. It's called hari-kuyo, and we stick our broken or bent needles in tofu to give them a soft send off. It's a way of thanking tools that make our lives easier.

I wrote about the Japanese tradition of Setsubun on my newsletter this week. But here's a pretty unique way of celebrating it -- with a pet lizard! This playfulness is one of the things I love best about our spiritual culture. It's open to everyone... even a bearded dragon! The links are in the 🧵

The arrival of a game-changing Chinese AI model last week got me thinking: why didn't Japan get there first? It turns out the answer is a lot more interesting than I thought. blog.pureinventionbook.com/p/why-didnt-...

Today is Setsubun! It’s a special day in Japan to drive negativity out of your life. This is how it works! blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/setsubun-t...

Japanese breakfast, the sequel (also not the pop band)

I agree 😆!

Japanese breakfast! (not the pop band.)

At right, the photo from my ryokan window; at left, the photo @mattalt.bsky.social took of me getting the shot! 🤣

Today’s lunch is ekiben, a bento from a train station. It has a nice slab of grilled salmon on a bed of Ikura😋

Just wrapped up a livestream on this week in Japan's pop culture! Check it out here: www.youtube.com/live/d0PKXBn...

It's pancake Sunday! Have a nice day!

I was happy to see Shogun win at the Golden Globes because it really represents an ideal cross-cultural collaboration. In fact, I think it is a roadmap for all sorts of collaborations even beyond entertainment. I wrote about why I think the series works: blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/jidaigeki-...

This is what I saw in the kitchen first thing this morning. My mother in law really stocked up… I think we have enough bread?! 🤣

I built my first ever Lego set! It’s a Japanese kingfisher catching a fish. It wasn’t easy because the pieces were tiny, but I managed to finish it. I’m so proud!😆