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Russell Thomas

Russell Thomas

Born and raised in the suburbs of London, Russell Thomas writes on topics as diverse as history, culture, travel, music and food. After working as a music news editor, he travelled extensively around East and Southeast Asia, and now lives in Tokyo. His work has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, The Japan Times and The Fader. He is the founder of long-running music blog yesnomusic.
Born and raised in the suburbs of London, Russell Thomas writes on topics as diverse as history, culture, travel, music and food. After working as a music news editor, he travelled extensively around East and Southeast Asia, and now lives in Tokyo. His work has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, The Japan Times and The Fader. He is the founder of long-running music blog yesnomusic.
Languages Spoken:
English

What is washoku? The definition of Japanese cuisine is up for debate

It’s been 10 years since washoku, literally ‘Japanese cuisine’, was added to the Unesco list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. What is it actually? The definition is unclear, and opinions differ greatly.

A put-upon Japanese office worker pretends to be pregnant to get out of menial tasks – that’s the cue for Emi Yagi’s biting observations about male-dominated workplaces.

Cannibalism with casual couplings, furniture and clothing made from human body parts – Sayaka Murata’s short stories in Life Ceremony make madness seem matter-of-fact.

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Japan’s best ski resorts depend on foreign tourists, and after two winters without them many are on their knees and some have gone out of business. A lifting of the ban on arrivals still appears months away.

Ramen and tempura may seem typical Japanese dishes, but they, along with another national favourite – curry, were all introduced from overseas.

Japanese beers aren’t all Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo – craft beers and bars are seeing a revival thanks to law changes and a focus on IPAs, but many are seen little outside the nation.

Jesus’ burial in a northern Japanese village might be one of the country’s stranger tales but the land of eight million gods unsurprisingly has a complex relationship with religion.

Okunoshima has been attracting tourists with its resident population of bunnies, but alongside the cute, cuddly kawaii, visitors can also learn about the tiny Japanese island’s dark and deadly wartime secrets.

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Asia travelJapanWellnessBooks and literatureReligionFood and Drinks