Summer 2026 field reports · Vol. 2: The Many Who Caught Me
The Sacred Rituals
By NOBUNAGA (@japan_nobunaga). Featured in The New York Times · ABC News Live · Press · Book.
TOMODACHI.
TOMODACHI.
TOMODACHI!!!
Not "Operation Relief."
Not "Operation Support."
Not some cold military code name.
America looked at a drowning nation
and chose ONE word. OUR word.
FRIEND.
Do you understand what that did to us?!
That word rebuilt our hearts before our houses.
That's why Tokyo lit the sky for YOU last night. 🎆
HAPPY 250th, AMERICA!! 🇯🇵🇺🇸
Cultural FAQs
What are "Sacred Rituals" in these stories?
Everyday American customs that locals treat as obvious and visitors experience as formal rites: who tips, who grills, who brings a dish.
Who is NOBUNAGA / @japan_nobunaga?
NOBUNAGA is an English-language comedy storytelling project: a wandering samurai observes modern American life. Featured in The New York Times (June 18, 2026) and ABC News Live; stories also appear in the book The Samurai Who Discovered Free Chips.
Are these stories fiction or real travel notes?
They are literary comedy postcards rooted in recognizable American customs. Read them as storytelling, not as a guidebook, then check local norms when you travel.
