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 Alice Gordenker

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Alice Gordenker
Alice Gordenker writes the "So, What the Heck is That?" column, providing in-depth, carefully researched explanations of the things foreigners find so puzzling about Japan. Her work has been modified as a textbook for Japanese university students called "Surprising Japan" (Shohakusha, 2012).
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Jan 16, 2015
Coffee-cup placement
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Nov 21, 2014
Face masks
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 9, 2014
The Yamatane Museum presents a brilliant show
Gold and silver have long been used in Japanese painting for their decorative value, on works ranging from intimate handscrolls to large-scale screens. But as the current exhibition at the Yamatane Museum of Art makes amply clear, in the last century or so tradition has been improved upon as modern and...
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Sep 19, 2014
Blood types
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 14, 2014
The bright sparks of photography
Photography, because it is both familiar and accessible, is an excellent medium for young people to use for self-expression. With this as a guiding principle, the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts (K*MoPA) in Yamanashi Prefecture has sought since its founding in 1995 to contribute to society by purchasing...
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Jul 18, 2014
Organ donation
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Jun 15, 2014
State-of-the-art dog shelter opens in Kansai
A new ARK facility to house rescued dogs in Hyogo Prefecture sets a new standard for animal welfare centers in Japan.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
May 19, 2014
Shocking baths of Japan
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 23, 2014
Endless inspiration to be found in Mount Fuji and spring flowers
It's often said by Japanese painters that the most difficult subject of all is Mount Fuji. How is it possible to come up with an original take on a theme that has been painted so often and by so many talented artists? Yet for all their angst, artists clearly manage, as demonstrated by the sheer variety...
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Apr 14, 2014
Tetrapod
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 26, 2014
Shimooka Renjo, back in focus
It's not surprising that the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography has organized a retrospective on Shimooka Renjo, one of the first commercial photographers in Japan. What is surprising is that it didn't happen sooner.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 26, 2014
Japan's early masters of Alpine photography and their breathtaking views
'Valleys and Peaks' introduces the stunning alpine photography of Matsujiro Kanmuri (1883-1970), who broke new ground with his climbs in the Kurobe Gorge of Toyama Prefecture and Misuo Hokari (1891-1966), who worked to make mountaineering more accessible.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Mar 17, 2014
Proof-of-purchase tape
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Feb 17, 2014
Coastal shipping
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Jan 20, 2014
Expiry dates
It's hard when our children decide we're past our prime. Let's prove we've still got a little shelf life sorting out an admittedly tricky subject.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Dec 16, 2013
Kobe beef
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Nov 18, 2013
Fender mirrors
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Oct 21, 2013
Elevation signs
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Sep 16, 2013
Oversized trash
Dear Alice,
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Jul 15, 2013
Mosquito coils
Dear Alice, I have lived in Japan for almost 30 years, and nothing says 'summer in Japan' to me like the sight and smell of those once-ubiquitous green mosquito coils.

Longform

Dul Saroth (left) and Soeum Samrach, deminers with the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, practice using the Advanced Landmine Imaging System in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province in August.
The Japanese tech that could one day make Southeast Asia landmine-free