More Kimono Girls Than You Can Shake A Bou At

Like manga? Like girls wearing kimono? This guy's blog contains more kimono girls than seijinshiki. Enjoy!

PS. This is BSFW (Barely Safe For Work) so don't say I didn't warn you.

Star Wars for Japanophiles

All sorts of great stuff for NERDS like you and me this week.. Last year the DARTH VADER SAMURAI ARMOR was making the blog rounds. It's still on sale at Tokyu Hands, along with all sorts of sundry items like soy sauce bottles and box lunch wraps. Check it out at Nigiwai Showten!!

Hey I know that guy!

Well, I don't know him PERSONALLY but Yoshihara Yoshindo is one of the featured bladesmiths in our book "KATANA: THE BOOK OF JAPANESE BLADES." (Full disclosure: this book is our book and we want you to buy it!) The Japan Times has done a piece on him, which you can read here:

MORE BEARS!!! THIS TIME WITH KUNG-FU GRIP

Maybe I blog about animals a bit too much in here but as you know the Japanese love them even more than I do. Especially when they do something adorable, like stand on their hind legs or grasp their little heads in agony. This particular bear (not pictured above, by the way) lives in Hiroshima, and knows KUNG FU! He has a stick, and he knows how to use it!　It seems that hunters killed his parents and stuck the little guy in a zoo. These days he's biding his time, planning his vengeance. Asahi Shimbun has the story here: Video can be found here:

ANCIENT ANIME

"Namakura Gatana" (The Dull Katana) is not the oldest animated feature from Japan (that honor belongs to Imokawa Mukuzo Genkanban no Maki), but it's certainly close. First screened in 1917, it was recently rediscovered sitting in a box in Osaka and is ready for screening once again、along with an animated movie from the following year, "Urashima Taro."

The Asahi Shimbun has the story here:

The Katana is NOT a Toy

Let the buyer beware..

Basically, if you are going to buy a crappy fake katana make sure you don't go around smacking things with it.