by Rebecca Copeland | Jan 28, 2026 | Japanese Culture
“No, I do not want to write a report for you in Japanese,” I declared, being uncharacteristically blunt. I’d been doing research in Japan for over ten years now. I understood the importance of courtesy and willingness to acquiesce to requests, no matter how... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Sep 24, 2025 | Japanese Culture
Novels with clear social messages never fail to incite debate in my Japanese literature courses. They push readers to care, to take a point of view, and to act. Literary works by Ariyoshi Sawako (1931-1984) are a case in point. The Doctor’s Wife (1966), for one,... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Jun 19, 2024 | Japanese Culture
Eizo Osada, the protagonist of Kunio Yamagishi’s stunning debut novel, is a shadow, a man without a present. He lives between worlds, between Canada and Japan, between the past and the future, only to discover that he doesn’t live anywhere or hardly at all. For the... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Mar 13, 2024 | Japanese Culture
If you like creepy, spooky things—ghosts, goblins, and shapeshifters—Japan is the place to be! For centuries the Japanese have enjoyed tales of mysterious happenings: umbrellas and tea pots with a will of their own; foxes that transform into alluring women and spiders... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Feb 14, 2024 | Japanese Culture
The Cherry Blossom Dance I remember being almost giddy when someone first gave me a handkerchief with Uno Chiyo’s signature motif. It was pale pink with small white dots, not quite cherry blossoms. But the sheerness of the fabric hinted at the delicateness of the... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Jan 31, 2024 | Japanese Culture
The Old Woman who Scattered Cherry Blossoms Could the Old Woman who Scattered Cherry Blossoms revive a tree? The irrepressible author, kimono devotee, and designer saw no reason not to try. Reflecting on Uno Chiyo’s legacy and her take-charge approach to life, we see...
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