Book: Sanrio Design The 70s and 80s

In which nostalgia pulls me close like a hug, and I’m reminded of the power of Sanrio in bringing people together. Back when I was a kid approximately 3.41 million years ago, I absolutely loved Hello Kitty and Sanrio characters in general. Although I credit anime with making me want to study Japanese and go […]

Book: 80s Girls’ Manga Furoku Collection

In which, hoo boy, do I have a treat for you! (Albeit, a treat with some crappy photography…) I’m obsessed with furoku — free giveaways with Japanese magazines I think I first talked about here — and since I can’t exactly buy everything I’d like to, I love that I’m not the only one nostalgic […]

Book: Samezu, Itsudemo Samezu, and Same to Azarashi

In which sharks are adorable, surprisingly educational, extremely hungry dorks. My introduction to Samezu was confusing, to say the least. I love sharks, first of all, hammerhead sharks in particular, so the minute I saw a picture of Shumoku I was hooked. However, I had a lot of trouble finding information and merchandise at the […]

Book: Sumikko Gurashi Gakkou Daisuki

In which I do poorly on a quiz meant to prepare children for elementary school and then am abused by stamps. I thought today I’d write about something I picked up in my latest CD Japan order — this book, Sumikko Gurashi Gakkou Daisuki (Sumikko Gurashi We Love School). It’s made for kids entering school […]