Over A Hedge

Sake Review: Hakutsuru Sho-Une Offers Value for Money

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 02:51:00 +0000

Hakutsuru claims to be Japan's #1 selling brand of sake, a designation that can be both a blessing and a curse. Being popular means making money, but it also raises the suspicion of sake snobs who...

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Reflections on Donald Richie's Film Criticism

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:52:00 +0000

Like many Japanese cinephiles, I was saddened to hear about the passing of writer and film critic Donald Richie at the age of 88. By all appearances, he lived a full and varied life, but it is still...

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Sake Review: Karakuchi Kiippon is as dry as it wants to be

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sun, 05 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000

If you're trying sake for the first time, a small bottle of Karakuchi Kiippon might be a tempting place to start. At only 180mL, what do you have to lose if you don't like it? The question is, will...

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Ozu & Ebert at the Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:05:00 +0000

"With an Ozu film, every time I see it, it is a little different, because I am a little different and it moves with me." --Roger Ebert Ten years before his death, Roger Ebert recorded a wonderful...

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Sake Review: Pure Dusk

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 02:34:00 +0000

Akita prefecture is famous in Japan for the beauty of its women, dating back to famed Heian-era poet Ono-no-Komachi. While I'm unfamiliar with Akita's reputation for sake brewing, the area is blessed...

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An Insider's Look at Business Travel in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:01:00 +0000

Readers of this blog might be familiar with the numerous travel articles about Japan that I have posted throughout the years. Aside from the "24 Hours in Japan" series, most were written for...

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Sake Review: Tamanohikari is Golden

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:28:00 +0000

Samurai weren't known for holding their liquor. Tamanohikari Omachi Junmai Daiginjo (TOJD) is one of the easier to find premium sakes available in Ontario. At $17.35 for a 300ml bottle, the price...

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The Next Best Thing to Live Kabuki

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:21:00 +0000

"Cinema Kabuki" might sound like a contradiction in terms. How can the experience of live theatre be captured on film in a satisfactory manner? Consider some of the challenges that must be overcome...

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Tokyo Comes to Toronto

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 01:45:00 +0000

A little bird told me that Dr. Hiroshi Kurushima will be at the Japan Foundation in Toronto next week to deliver a lecture titled "Imagining Samurai: A Look at Life through Art of the Edo Period."...

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2013 New Year Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year! 明けましておめでとう！ No, it's not the Year of the Cat or even the Tiger for that matter. 2013 is officially the Year of the Snake, but J-Town was only selling these and hana daruma...

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Was It Resolved? 2012 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 17:53:00 +0000

At the beginning of the year I made my New Year’s Resolutions public in the hope that it would add a little extra motivation to complete them in time. Here we are on New Year’s Eve, so let’s see how...

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Sake Review: Ty Ku Makes a Nice Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 01:23:00 +0000

When your marketing department tells you to hang a tag on every bottle you sell proclaiming, "World's Best Tasting Sake," you're forcing yourself to meet almost impossible expectations. Who's...

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Nagauta: Long Songs Worth Your Time

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 14:28:00 +0000

The sound of the wooden hyoshigi clacking is enough to signal a kabuki performance about to begin. Considering that it is not unusual for a show to go four hours long, it is little wonder that the...

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Donald Didn't Like Jozan

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:47:00 +0000

I have a bone to pick with Donald Keene. Before I do, allow me the following disclaimer. I have the utmost respect for Donald Keene. Not only has he done more for the promotion of Japanese...

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Writing Japanese for Americans in Canadian

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 13:47:00 +0000

A few days ago, I uploaded an eReader preview of The Samurai Poet on my website, the last step in the process before making the entire novel available for sale. Independently preparing the manuscript...

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This Special Edition Samurai Knows Iaido

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 20:13:00 +0000

It looks like Playmobil has noticed the success of Lego's limited edition mini figure series because they have got in on the action themselves. The first ones I saw were the Euro 2012 and Olympic...

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Program Your Own Japanese Summer Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 11:04:00 +0000

Every summer, when the temperatures rise, I find myself retreating to the cool depths of the basement at day's end. Invariably, my wife and I are drawn to revisit favourite movies--old friends that...

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Remembering Dad on Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 12:49:00 +0000

Sask Pool Six Dad and I drove down to Pool Six, an elevator on the shoreline. He last punched the clock here a young graindust lunged husband with a few month old son. Pool Six is...

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The Good, The Bad, and the Cutesy: Pro Yakyu Logos

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 18:00:00 +0000

To be a fan of professional Japanese baseball, one soon learns to accept a higher degree of cuteness on the diamond than which the average North American male is typically accustomed. While one might...

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Website Redesign in Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:53:00 +0000

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything. It's not due to neglect, I assure you. Sometimes life forces you to turn your head in other directions. Unless we ever find a cure for mortality,...

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Bring a Biwa to the Battle

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:04:00 +0000

I will never forget the first time I heard the stirring sounds of the biwa. It was while watching the third episode of the movie Kwaidan, "The Tale of Earless Hoichi," that I heard the otherwordly...

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Traditional Japanese Music Primer

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:42:00 +0000

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a Japanese restaurant listening to some melodious stringed music or an atmospheric flute and said, "I have to get a hold of some of this!" Then, by the time...

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eReading Murakami

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:32:00 +0000

I finally bought an eReader a couple weeks ago, fulfilling the first of three New Year's resolutions. After spending some time with it, I can say it was the right move. Based on my...

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Be it Resolved, 2012 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:37:00 +0000

I’m a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions, even though I rarely announce them publicly. By the end of December, 9 times out of 10 I have fulfilled them even when I wasn’t consciously thinking about the...

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2012

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Belrose) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Happy New Year! あけましておめでとう！ All the best in 2012 from Over a Hedge.

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