Field Notes · Issue 01
The Journal.
Research, opinions, and the occasional argument about Japanese skincare.
Written when there's something worth saying — never on a content calendar.
From the archive
Earlier pieces, by topic and date
A glossary of Japanese skincare terms — and the ones being mistranslated
Shittori. Sappari. Iyashi. Words that don't have clean English equivalents — and the marketing that exploits the gap.
The double cleanse, defended (and when to skip it)
Two-step cleansing is non-negotiable for makeup wearers, contested for everyone else. The honest case for both sides.
Why the price of a Japanese sunscreen tells you almost nothing
A 1,200 yen drugstore SPF can outperform a 12,000 yen luxury one — and the reasons
are structural, not coincidental.
A short defense of unsexy products
The case for boring skincare — toners, milk cleansers, simple moisturizers — in a category that profits from making everything sound like a breakthrough.
