• From Steve: How to Write About Japan. Just in time for NaNoWriMo, a scathing critique of the way writers sometimes fall into tropes that exoticize and stereotype Japan while underserving their readers.

• From Charles: Why does Japan love Halloween so much, and is it celebrating the holiday the right way? Just saying, the American way shouldn’t be synonymous with the “right” way.

• From Yael: Here’s How To Eat Everything You’ve Ever Wanted From A Miyazaki Film. I want to cook ALL of these.

• From Bill: Come to your terms. This is a little about programming and a lot about cognitive behavioral therapy—a great read for anyone who struggles with anxiety. It’s especially relevant to me right now because I’m teaching myself jQuery and second-guessing every moment of it.

• From Joe: Japan urged to ban manga child abuse images. The UN wants Japan to ban cartoon child porn, but some Japanese artists see this as a slippery slope that would curb free speech. We can all agree that child porn is bad, but I also see where those artists are coming from.

• From everyone, basically: South Park did a yaoi episode and I haven’t stopped hearing about it. Here’s where you can watch it for free. I love that they used real fan art from South Park viewers.

• From Steven and I: Did you hear we’re holding a free webinar for geek careerists? I’m extremely excited about it. We’ve got 40 sign-ups and counting, but space is limited, so register now!

Photo via Alamy, the Guardian