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NOBUNAGA — A wandering samurai tries to understand America
NOBUNAGA
samurai in modern america
a small comedy from far away

A wandering samurai
tries to understand America.

He came for honor. He stayed for free refills.

A papercraft samurai turning aside a hail of bullets with his blade My scrolls are gathered on Amazon at last. Paperback out now, the Kindle edition marching close behind →

In one month, the top 120 stories in this series reached 28.7M impressions, 522K likes, 6.6K quotes, and 13K replies.

120 short stories

Postcards from a confused samurai

The Free

We sat at a table in a bright, loud eating house.
The Bewilderment

I went to In-N-Out and ordered a cheeseburger.
The Enormous

The waitress, a woman of sunny disposition, recommended a dish that, to my eyes, appeared to be…
The Bewilderment

USA. Summer. It is 95 degrees outside, and I am shivering inside a sandwich shop.
The Renamed

In America, a stranger will rename you in a single breath, and you are simply expected to come…
The Sacred Rituals

USA. A potluck. Everyone brings one dish.

 A samurai with his sword
📜 My scrolls are bound at last. Behold them all on Amazon.
Paperback stands ready today. The Kindle edition rides in any day now. Each tale carries a fresh afterword.
See all my books → Buy me a coffee
This rōnin carries no gun. Only a sword, a brush, and a small glowing phone.
Every tale here is drawn and written by one wandering hand. If it warmed you, help fuel the next hundred.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Bewilderment

USA. A diner. The waitress asked me how I want my eggs, and my mind went completely blank.
The Enormous

I stood in the vast hall of goods, a silent guardian of philosophy.
The Bewilderment

The drink was blue, cold, and a mystery.
The Bewilderment

A Waffle House at three in the morning.
The Bewilderment

USA. A house. The garage is full, so the car sleeps in the rain.
The Enormous

A boy stood ready to serve, his station a counter of sugared and salted delights.

 A samurai with his sword
🏯 The wandering samurai now sits upon a shelf.
Hold the whole journey in your hands. Paperback today, the Kindle scroll very soon.
Visit my shelf on Amazon → Buy me a coffee
One hand draws, one hand writes, and the tea has gone cold.
If you smiled even once, a coffee helps the next story get made.
☕ Treat the samurai to a coffee
The Bewilderment

My American friends led me into a cavernous room where swords of fire danced and a chef, master…
The Free

USA. A restaurant. I could not finish my meal, and I bowed my head in shame.
The Sacred Rituals

I came to watch the gladiators clash, and found the warriors feasting hours before the arena…
The Renamed

USA. A gas station register.
The Renamed

There came a knock at my gate, and a young warrior, small but formidable, stood ready for battle.
The Renamed

The man at the hardware store called me “boss.”

 A samurai with his sword
⚔️ A hundred misunderstandings, properly bound.
Every misadventure with America, gathered together and footnoted with afterwords.
Behold the collection → Buy me a coffee
He fends off bullets for free, but a coffee he cannot refuse.
Your cup keeps this wandering project alive. Thank you, honored friend.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Enormous

I sought but a single bottle of the American white sauce, this nation’s sacred oil.
The Bewilderment

My sword broke last winter, and so I went to replace it at the only smith I could find: a vast…
The Sacred Rituals

USA. There is a white sauce here that the people pour upon…
The Bewilderment

They made me sign a waiver before the wings arrived.
The Sacred Rituals

My host calls him “the weather man.”
The Renamed

For the fourth time since my arrival, I entered the small eatery.

 A samurai with his sword
🍶 Freshly printed and standing at attention.
Paperback out now. The Kindle edition joins the ranks shortly. All my books in one honorable place.
To the bookstore, swiftly → Buy me a coffee
No sword raised against you. Just a tired rōnin with a brush.
If these stories made your day a little lighter, a coffee keeps the ink flowing.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Renamed

In America, a stranger will love you on sight, and you are simply expected to allow it.
The Free

USA. A Southern restaurant.
The Free

There is a restaurant in Texas where they bring you food until you tell them to stop.
The Sacred Rituals

My neighbor, Dale, possesses a magnificent machine of burden, and I have observed its quiet,…
The Bewilderment

I bought a drink at this American eating-house.
The Sacred Rituals

My neighbor’s small, red banner on a stick appeared, and he raised it, not to announce battle,…

 A samurai with his sword
📜 My scrolls are bound at last. Behold them all on Amazon.
Paperback stands ready today. The Kindle edition rides in any day now. Each tale carries a fresh afterword.
See all my books → Buy me a coffee
This rōnin carries no gun. Only a sword, a brush, and a small glowing phone.
Every tale here is drawn and written by one wandering hand. If it warmed you, help fuel the next hundred.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

In America, a stranger will say “bless you” when you sneeze.
The Bewilderment

USA. There is a beast that lives beneath the American sink.
The Sacred Rituals

USA. A supermarket register.
The Enormous

USA. They sell food here in the sizes of war.
The Sacred Rituals

At an American baseball game, a stranger will throw his arms around you the instant your side…
The Free

Here in America, i returned to my hotel room at night and found that someone had entered, remade…

 A samurai with his sword
🏯 The wandering samurai now sits upon a shelf.
Hold the whole journey in your hands. Paperback today, the Kindle scroll very soon.
Visit my shelf on Amazon → Buy me a coffee
One hand draws, one hand writes, and the tea has gone cold.
If you smiled even once, a coffee helps the next story get made.
☕ Treat the samurai to a coffee
The Bewilderment

USA. A diner. I ordered a cola, and they handed me a cup that was ninety percent ice.
The Sacred Rituals

There was a man at the next table in uniform, and the waitress would not let him pay.
The Renamed

A confession. My fortune had been falling.
The Sacred Rituals

Fifty thousand people stood up in order, section by section.
The Free

A restaurant in America handed me a cup of soda.
The Bewilderment

I stood before a beast of the old world, a creature of such power and quiet majesty that I…

 A samurai with his sword
⚔️ A hundred misunderstandings, properly bound.
Every misadventure with America, gathered together and footnoted with afterwords.
Behold the collection → Buy me a coffee
He fends off bullets for free, but a coffee he cannot refuse.
Your cup keeps this wandering project alive. Thank you, honored friend.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

My nose tingled, a familiar warning.
The Bewilderment

USA. A restaurant entrance.
The Bewilderment

USA. A diner entrance.
The Sacred Rituals

The wind changed, the air grew heavy, and the sky above my neighbor’s house began to pulse with…
The Bewilderment

In America, a young man at the coffee shop extended his FIST toward me, and I stood before it…
The Enormous

I came to lift one weight. I left a legend.

 A samurai with his sword
🍶 Freshly printed and standing at attention.
Paperback out now. The Kindle edition joins the ranks shortly. All my books in one honorable place.
To the bookstore, swiftly → Buy me a coffee
No sword raised against you. Just a tired rōnin with a brush.
If these stories made your day a little lighter, a coffee keeps the ink flowing.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

In America, a stranger will hold a door for a man who is nowhere near it.
The Bewilderment

USA. A grocery register.
The Free

USA. A restaurant on my birthday week.
The Sacred Rituals

Over here, the school bus has an ARM, and when the arm extends, all of America stops.
The Renamed

In America, a stranger will tell you that you are funny, and you must decide what to do with such…
The Sacred Rituals

USA. The woman handed me my receipt and said, “Have a nice day!”

 A samurai with his sword
📜 My scrolls are bound at last. Behold them all on Amazon.
Paperback stands ready today. The Kindle edition rides in any day now. Each tale carries a fresh afterword.
See all my books → Buy me a coffee
This rōnin carries no gun. Only a sword, a brush, and a small glowing phone.
Every tale here is drawn and written by one wandering hand. If it warmed you, help fuel the next hundred.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

Beneath a lantern declaring “Express Lane,” I observed a sacred instruction, written in bold…
The Sacred Rituals

USA. On Saturday mornings, a parking lot near my home becomes a…
The Renamed

The girl at the coffee counter asked for my name.
The Free

USA. I bumped a man’s cart with mine.
The Sacred Rituals

Somewhere in America, your weather report is performed as THEATER, and I have become a devoted…
The Bewilderment

USA. A small town, Friday, 5 p.

 A samurai with his sword
🏯 The wandering samurai now sits upon a shelf.
Hold the whole journey in your hands. Paperback today, the Kindle scroll very soon.
Visit my shelf on Amazon → Buy me a coffee
One hand draws, one hand writes, and the tea has gone cold.
If you smiled even once, a coffee helps the next story get made.
☕ Treat the samurai to a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

I bought water and gum.
The Bewilderment

The morning sun found me again at the House of Waffles.
The Bewilderment

Somewhere in America, a drive-in.
The Sacred Rituals

USA. September first.
The Enormous

A warm basket appeared before me, unbidden.
The Renamed

USA. I walked into a sandwich shop a commoner, and walked out…

 A samurai with his sword
⚔️ A hundred misunderstandings, properly bound.
Every misadventure with America, gathered together and footnoted with afterwords.
Behold the collection → Buy me a coffee
He fends off bullets for free, but a coffee he cannot refuse.
Your cup keeps this wandering project alive. Thank you, honored friend.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

A child, flushed from battle with summer heat, offered me his elixir, fresh from a green serpent…
The Enormous

USA. A great yellow carriage stopped in the road, threw out a…
The Enormous

USA. The suburbs. My neighbor Dale complimented my lawn, and I…
The Sacred Rituals

USA. A grocery store.
The Bewilderment

USA. There is a store where everything costs one dollar, and I went in to find the catch.
The Bewilderment

I gave the cashier my name. She said, “Perfect.”

 A samurai with his sword
🍶 Freshly printed and standing at attention.
Paperback out now. The Kindle edition joins the ranks shortly. All my books in one honorable place.
To the bookstore, swiftly → Buy me a coffee
No sword raised against you. Just a tired rōnin with a brush.
If these stories made your day a little lighter, a coffee keeps the ink flowing.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Bewilderment

Here in America, a bedroom.
The Bewilderment

Stateside, a restaurant.
The Enormous

I once sat at a table in the southland when a woman spoke a word that felt like a sudden embrace,…
The Sacred Rituals

There is a moment at the end of every American meal when a stranger in an apron offers you the…
The Bewilderment

USA. A checkout lane. I have found where this nation hides its ambush troops.
The Renamed

My American neighbor, Megan, approached me this morning with a grave pronouncement.

 A samurai with his sword
📜 My scrolls are bound at last. Behold them all on Amazon.
Paperback stands ready today. The Kindle edition rides in any day now. Each tale carries a fresh afterword.
See all my books → Buy me a coffee
This rōnin carries no gun. Only a sword, a brush, and a small glowing phone.
Every tale here is drawn and written by one wandering hand. If it warmed you, help fuel the next hundred.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

USA. The forecast promised a storm, and my neighbor responded by…
The Enormous

A woman at the warehouse store held out a tiny paper cup.
The Enormous

USA. A fast food counter. I ordered a sandwich.
The Sacred Rituals

We came upon an American house with its treasures spread across the front lawn.
The Bewilderment

This country. A living room.
The Bewilderment

In America, a man will promise you lunch, and you are both meant to understand that he means…

 A samurai with his sword
🏯 The wandering samurai now sits upon a shelf.
Hold the whole journey in your hands. Paperback today, the Kindle scroll very soon.
Visit my shelf on Amazon → Buy me a coffee
One hand draws, one hand writes, and the tea has gone cold.
If you smiled even once, a coffee helps the next story get made.
☕ Treat the samurai to a coffee
The Enormous

USA. The hotel bathroom contains a row of tiny bottles, and I…
The Sacred Rituals

There was a sign on the lawn. “YARD SALE.”
The Bewilderment

The machine accused me of a crime I did not commit.
The Renamed

USA. A parking lot.
The Sacred Rituals

My neighbor, Walt-san, cuts his vast garden mounted upon a motorized steed, a ritual I have…
The Bewilderment

USA. Every store shouts the same two words when you enter: “Welcome in!”

 A samurai with his sword
⚔️ A hundred misunderstandings, properly bound.
Every misadventure with America, gathered together and footnoted with afterwords.
Behold the collection → Buy me a coffee
He fends off bullets for free, but a coffee he cannot refuse.
Your cup keeps this wandering project alive. Thank you, honored friend.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Sacred Rituals

USA. A woman named Brittany whispered that she was going to…
The Sacred Rituals

A national holiday. The chains had invented it, I knew that.
The Free

I saw a sign for a village, but the characters were not kanji.
The Free

USA. A diner. The waitress asked me a question, and I misheard my destiny.
The Sacred Rituals

In America, a stranger will say “love you” and then hang up.
The Bewilderment

USA. A small eating house.

 A samurai with his sword
🍶 Freshly printed and standing at attention.
Paperback out now. The Kindle edition joins the ranks shortly. All my books in one honorable place.
To the bookstore, swiftly → Buy me a coffee
No sword raised against you. Just a tired rōnin with a brush.
If these stories made your day a little lighter, a coffee keeps the ink flowing.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Bewilderment

The waiters dropped their trays and ran.
The Sacred Rituals

My friend beckoned me toward a door I had always presumed to be a mere closet, a portal to some…
The Sacred Rituals

Somewhere in America, july 4th, 9 p.
The Sacred Rituals

USA. I thanked the young woman for my coffee.
The Bewilderment

USA. A businessman shook my hand, and I require a moment.
The Bewilderment

Beyond the formal receiving rooms of the house, in the place where a family keeps its riding…

 A samurai with his sword
📜 My scrolls are bound at last. Behold them all on Amazon.
Paperback stands ready today. The Kindle edition rides in any day now. Each tale carries a fresh afterword.
See all my books → Buy me a coffee
This rōnin carries no gun. Only a sword, a brush, and a small glowing phone.
Every tale here is drawn and written by one wandering hand. If it warmed you, help fuel the next hundred.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Enormous

I purchased a drink.
The Sacred Rituals

USA. A highway on-ramp.
The Bewilderment

USA. A grocery register.
The Renamed

“Can I get a name for the order?”
The Sacred Rituals

I stood before the grandest collection of faces I had ever witnessed, a silent army of joy and…
The Free

In America, a stranger will offer you his fist, and you are simply meant to understand.

 A samurai with his sword
🏯 The wandering samurai now sits upon a shelf.
Hold the whole journey in your hands. Paperback today, the Kindle scroll very soon.
Visit my shelf on Amazon → Buy me a coffee
One hand draws, one hand writes, and the tea has gone cold.
If you smiled even once, a coffee helps the next story get made.
☕ Treat the samurai to a coffee
The Renamed

USA. A family restaurant.
The Sacred Rituals

The waiter knelt slightly, met my eyes, and said, “Hi, I’m Brad, I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”
The Bewilderment

Out here, my neighbor’s doorbell has an EYE, and the eye speaks with his voice.
The Free

USA. I broke a kettle, so I went to the store to confess.
The Bewilderment

This country. A grocery store.
The Sacred Rituals

USA. Your weather report is performed as THEATER, and I have become a devoted patron.

 A samurai with his sword
⚔️ A hundred misunderstandings, properly bound.
Every misadventure with America, gathered together and footnoted with afterwords.
Behold the collection → Buy me a coffee
He fends off bullets for free, but a coffee he cannot refuse.
Your cup keeps this wandering project alive. Thank you, honored friend.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee
The Bewilderment

USA. At the door of every house here lies a small cloth that…
The Bewilderment

USA. I walked in to ask about a job.
The Sacred Rituals

USA. Driving at night through open country, I saw a pink light…
The Enormous

USA. A buffet. The sign said all you can eat.
The Renamed

I stood before a shop, its doorway protected by a stark, absolute decree: three items, neatly…
The Sacred Rituals

USA. A park near my home.
Filter by category →
pack a sparkler

America’s festival nights

A cheerful samurai watching fireworks over an American festival night
this is a festival calendar, friend!

Parades. Fireworks. State fairs.

A wandering samurai’s cheerful guide to the nights America lights up — tap any date and smile.

Open the festival calendar →
press & media

Where the samurai has wandered

The New York Times
Food · June 18, 2026

“Nobunaga, the Japanese wanderer whose reverential written meditations on X about bottomless baskets of chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant in the United States, isn’t quite what some observers have taken him for…”

from Those World Cup Tourists Loving American Food? They’re Not All What They Seem.

Read the article ↗
NOBUNAGA — A wandering samurai tries to understand America
ABC News Live
via Justin Tinsley · June 18, 2026

“Sir, I was so moved by this tweet I had to salute you on @ABCNewsLive with @LinseyDavis. Hands down my favorite part of the #WorldCup have been the food reviews. This is the magnum opus of them all.”

Featured on ABC News Live during the World Cup — saved here in case the original post goes away.

View on X ↗
Full press page →
beyond the diaries

More discoveries from Japan

In Japan, children clean their own schools.
Japan, Explained

In Japan, children clean their own schools.
【MIRACLE SURVIVOR】
American Grit

【MIRACLE SURVIVOR】
Be honest with me, Americans 🇺🇸
Questions for America

Be honest with me, Americans 🇺🇸
There’s a TV show in Japan
Japan, Explained

There’s a TV show in Japan
1 AM. Arkansas. A dog won’t stop barking.
American Grit

1 AM. Arkansas. A dog won’t stop barking.
You can ride a bicycle across six Japanese islands.
Visit Japan

You can ride a bicycle across six Japanese islands.
All discoveries →
A samurai with his sword
📚 Read this far, honored friend? The whole journey now sits on a shelf.
Paperback available today on Amazon. The Kindle edition joins the ranks shortly. An afterword waits at the end of every tale.
Visit the author’s shelf → Buy me a coffee
No sword raised against you. Just a tired rōnin with a brush.
If these stories made your day a little lighter, a coffee keeps the ink flowing.
☕ Buy this samurai a coffee