Fix Log
Honest corrections, acknowledged publicly
We get things wrong sometimes. Everyone does. The difference is whether you admit it and fix it. This page is our public record of errors we've made and corrections we've issued. We keep it visible because we think transparency about mistakes is a fundamental part of earning trust. If you spot something in our essays that you think is incorrect, we encourage you to let us know.
January 2026
In our essay on konbini culture, we incorrectly stated the seasonal onigiri flavor dates for 2025. We wrote that the salmon roe flavor was available through mid-December, when in fact most konbini chains discontinued it in late November. This error was brought to our attention by a reader who works in food distribution. We've updated the essay with the correct timeline and added a note explaining the change. We should have verified the dates with more than one source before publishing.
November 2025
We incorrectly identified the composer of the JR Yamanote line station chimes at Komagome station. Our original essay attributed the melody to Taku Izumi, when in fact the chime at Komagome is an arrangement of "Sakura Sakura," a traditional Japanese folk song, and has no single attributed composer. The confusion arose from a reference book that contained an error, which we repeated without independent verification. We've corrected the essay and removed the incorrect attribution. We regret propagating an error that had already been published elsewhere.
September 2025
In our essay about morning routines, we stated that the school chime system in Japanese elementary schools was standardized nationwide in 1954. A reader who is a historian of Japanese education pointed out that while many schools adopted standardized chimes around this time, there was no national mandate, and significant regional variation persisted into the 1960s. We've corrected the essay to reflect this nuance and removed the specific date. We appreciate the correction and the reminder that national generalizations often obscure regional complexity.
June 2025
We misidentified the type of wood used in traditional shoji screens in our essay on morning light. We described the lattice frames as being made of hinoki cypress, when in fact they are more commonly made of pine or cedar, with hinoki being a premium option that is relatively uncommon in ordinary residential construction. A carpenter who specializes in traditional Japanese building techniques contacted us with the correction. We've updated the essay to reflect the more common materials and added a note about hinoki as a higher-end alternative.
March 2025
Our essay on wabi-sabi contained a passage that implied the philosophy originated from Zen Buddhism exclusively. A reader with expertise in Japanese aesthetics pointed out that while Zen influence on wabi-sabi is significant, the philosophy also has deep roots in Shinto and in indigenous Japanese attitudes toward nature that predate Buddhist influence. We've revised the relevant passage to acknowledge this broader cultural context. The original formulation was an oversimplification that we should have caught.
December 2024
We incorrectly stated the distance from Kanazawa Station to the Higashi Chaya district as 1.2 kilometers. The actual distance is approximately 1.8 kilometers. This was a simple measurement error on our part. We've corrected the distance in the essay. This is the kind of mistake that seems small but matters to readers who might use our descriptions to plan their own walking routes.
This log is updated whenever we issue a correction. We don't remove entries. The record stands as our commitment to accountability.