Beginning at the End

Beginning at the End

by | Mar 29, 2023 | Mystery Fiction

“And isn’t it better really to leave things only hinted at?” This is a well-cited line from Tanizaki Jun’ichirō’s 1929 novel Tade kuu mushi (translated by Edward Seidensticker, Some Prefer Nettles). The protagonist’s father-in-law utters the line midway through the...
Kimono Spirit

Kimono Spirit

by | Jun 17, 2020 | Japanese Culture

A kimono is more than just a garment. It’s a container of memory. For many it’s a living entity. By that, I don’t mean kimonos get up and walk on their own. No, they are animated by the body that wears them. But in some sense, the kimono also absorbs the energy that...