The Japanese fondness for all things limited edition—sneakers, cell phones, luxury apartments—may well be linked to that country’s emphasis on seasonal cuisine. Food culture is part of the mainstream there, and eaters and producers alike place a great deal of emphasis on provenance and seasonality. So it makes perfect sense that the sakura matsuri, or [...]
Author Archives: Diego Hadis
HAPPY NEW YEAR! And a Few Highlights from 2008
January 1, 2009 – 6:30 pm
1. Election Night The feeling on November 4, once it was clear that Barack Obama and Joe Biden had routed John McCain and Sarah Palin — in effect banishing the specter of this country continuing down the wrong path for at least another four years — was one of pure elation. The overwhelming feeling of [...]
Slow Boat to Qingdao
December 23, 2008 – 5:32 pm
Far now in time and place from that former empire’s teeming capital, in the last quiet days of 2008 our attention has — predictably — shifted away from China and Beijing. Here in New York, half a world away, the summer Olympics are fading into memory. The anticipatory articles on the event, and on the [...]
Yura Yura Teikoku: Live from Japan
November 24, 2008 – 2:23 pm
Yura Yura Teikoku doesn’t make it to these shores very often — so when it does, you really ought to go. The 19-year-old Japanese group — which combines raging psychedelic rock with lush pop and driving dance music — is huge in its own country, but has made surprisingly few forays beyond the island nation. [...]
