22 July 2025
Extinct worlds
Everything that lives leaves behind warmth. But here, in the heart of this abandoned onsen, only cold stones remain—cold cigarette vending machines and lonely toys scattered on the
21 July 2025
Shared Delicacies of Poland and Hokkaidō
August 2 is approaching. An immensely important day in Japan – but why? It is a celebration that, in a curious and roundabout way,
17 July 2025
A Grim Gaze into History
Every era wears its own mask. The Sengoku period — the time of civil war in Japan, which flooded the country with an ocean of
16 July 2025
Like a blind man with a deaf one
馬の耳に念仏
(lit. “a nembutsu prayer into a horse’s ear”)
In Japan, a conversation may sometimes fall apart before a single word is
Fur That Earns Billions – Yuru-kyara, or How Every Japanese Town Has Its Own Adorably Awkward Mascot
15 July 2025
The Cat Samurai and the Crazy Eel Airplane
Imagine an otter. A pink one. Wearing a diving helmet. With an unsettlingly wild-eyed stare and a plastic stick in its paw.
14 July 2025
The Ritual of Shopping
In the very heart of Edo, on the bustling street of Nihonbashi, where the day began with the hurried clatter of sandals and the cries of
10 July 2025
Different Values, a Different Sport
On the hardened temple courtyard, in the shade of four trees—pine, maple, cherry, and willow—marking out a 15 × 15 meter field, several aristocrats of
09 July 2025
The Man Who Was a Vehicle of the Future
In an era when Japan, still kneeling on its bamboo legs of tradition, first encountered the electric West, a man appeared
08 July 2025
The Hour of the Rabbit, the Hour of the Dragon
“A band of samurai snuck into the castle at 11:00 PM” — something feels off, doesn’t it? While it may
07 July 2025
A Stem, a Shell, and a Calligraphy Scroll
When we close the door to our apartment, the urban noise doesn’t disappear—it slips through the screen, the notifications, the excess of
04 July 2025
A land where warriors subdued emperors
The Japanese language does not lack words as sharp as the blade of a tachi. But one of them—shōgun—has, for centuries, cut through not
03 July 2025
The Sudden End of Childhood
The half-light of dawn blends with the amber glow of oil lamps as a quiet crackle of agarwood incense is heard in the family pavilion.
01 July 2025
A Half-Forgotten War
Dawn over the valley of Isawa. Mist drifted among the trees like the tattered robes of ancestral spirits. Look—rising from the dew-drenched reeds appears a wooden palisade:
30 June 2025
Exploring Rural Paths
One must leave behind the futuristic Tokyo, drive out of noisy Osaka, stray from the well-trodden paths of dignified Kyoto, and move past bullet trains, neon-lit districts,
26 June 2025
A Bald Monk, a Little Rascal, a Girl with a Broom
While in Japan—especially near the end of the rainy season—one may notice white, ghost-like dolls hanging by the windows
25 June 2025
“Of all the northern barbarians, the Emishi are the strongest. Men and women live freely together. In winter, they dwell in dugouts; in summer – in huts. They wear arrows
24 June 2025
「船に乗るより潮に乗れ」
Fune ni noru yori shio ni nore
"Instead of riding a ship, ride the tide"
Among a thousand islands, in a separate world of narrow straits, swift currents, and
23 June 2025
He walked the path of peace and tea, of sword and blood
Japan during the Sengoku period (15th–16th century) was a land drenched in blood, torn apart by a multi-generational
19 June 2025
A Lantern That Is Not Meant to Illuminate
There are certain things that everyone associates with Japan—regardless of whether we have ever been there or how much we know about
18 June 2025
Armor as protection, identity, an expression of ambition and worldview
In a display case at the Tokyo National Museum rests the armor of a daimyō from Mino. Its very appearance
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「心は風の歌に乗せて。」
(Kokoro wa kaze no uta ni nosete.)
„Carry your heart with the melody of the wind.”
— Japanese saying
"Strong Japanese Women"
see book by the author
of the page
未開 ソビエライ
An enthusiast of Asian culture with a deep appreciation for the diverse philosophies of the world. By education, a psychologist and philologist specializing in Korean studies. At heart, a programmer (primarily for Android) and a passionate technology enthusiast, as well as a practitioner of Zen and mono no aware. In moments of tranquility, adheres to a disciplined lifestyle, firmly believing that perseverance, continuous personal growth, and dedication to one's passions are the wisest paths in life. Author of the book "Strong Women of Japan" (>>see more)
Personal motto:
"The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." - Albert Einstein (probably)
Mike Soray
(aka Michał Sobieraj)
Write us...
Ciechanów, Polska
dr.imyon@gmail.com
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