DADWAGON

Add “Ponyo” to my growing list of questionable movie choices that are apt to bring a tear to my eye. Not that it’s bad—on the contrary, Hayao Miyazaki’s retelling of “The Little Mermaid” in a rural, magical Japanese setting is completely wonderful. Lovely art, sharp characterizations, and that enchanting but occasionally menacing spirit that hangs [...]

When parents post their kids’ photos on the Internet, they often do so with a bit of trepidation, fearful (almost always without reason) that they’re inviting stalkers into their lives or, less traumatically, exposing too much of their private sphere to public view. What most fail to consider is the possible upside—that the perfect photo [...]

A while back, we ‘wagoneers considered the question “Should you put your kids’ photos on the Internet?” We looked at a range of possible consequences, from stalkers to simple shame, but there was one result we failed to take into account—that your kid’s photo could become a Japanese Internet meme. That’s what happened to Stephen, [...]

From Matt G. comes a link to good news for fathers in Japan. First, the problem, as reported by Monocle: Japan, birthplace of the workaholic salaryman, has long held the dubious distinction of being one of the most overworked nations in the developed world. And nowhere is this better reflected than in the context of [...]