The Bewilderment
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American home & suburbia — garage fridges, lawns, and grill masters
Suburbia has its own dojo rules: the garage fridge, the lawn, the one person allowed near the meat. These postcards map the household battlefield.
By NOBUNAGA (@japan_nobunaga). Featured in The New York Times · ABC News Live · Book.
Cultural FAQs
Why do Americans keep a second fridge in the garage?
Bulk shopping, entertaining, and limited kitchen space. The garage fridge holds drinks and overflow so the kitchen fridge stays "daily use."
Why do American cars often park outside the garage?
Garages fill with tools, sports gear, holiday décor, and bulk goods. The car loses the parking contest.
Who is allowed to touch the grill at an American cookout?
Often there is an informal "grill master." Guests may help with sides, but the grill itself can be treated as sacred territory.
Do Americans really give neighbors house keys?
Many do, especially for packages, pets, or emergencies. It varies by region and personality, but it is not unusual in suburban life.
Who writes these American culture stories?
NOBUNAGA (@japan_nobunaga) — a wandering-samurai comedy project featured in The New York Times and ABC News Live. Stories live at wandering-nobunaga.com.
The Bewilderment
USA. A house. The garage is full, so the car sleeps in the rain.
The Sacred Rituals
I came to watch the gladiators clash, and found the warriors feasting hours before the arena…
The Sacred Rituals
My host calls him “the weather man.”
The Sacred Rituals
My neighbor, Dale, possesses a magnificent machine of burden, and I have observed its quiet,…
The Sacred Rituals
My neighbor’s small, red banner on a stick appeared, and he raised it, not to announce battle,…
The Sacred Rituals
The wind changed, the air grew heavy, and the sky above my neighbor’s house began to pulse with…
The Sacred Rituals
Over here, the school bus has an ARM, and when the arm extends, all of America stops.
The Sacred Rituals
Somewhere in America, your weather report is performed as THEATER, and I have become a devoted…
The Bewilderment
The morning sun found me again at the House of Waffles.
The Enormous
USA. The suburbs. My neighbor Dale complimented my lawn, and I…
The Renamed
My American neighbor, Megan, approached me this morning with a grave pronouncement.
The Sacred Rituals
USA. The forecast promised a storm, and my neighbor responded by…
The Sacred Rituals
We came upon an American house with its treasures spread across the front lawn.
The Sacred Rituals
There was a sign on the lawn. “YARD SALE.”
The Sacred Rituals
My neighbor, Walt-san, cuts his vast garden mounted upon a motorized steed, a ritual I have…
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 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…
The Bewilderment
Out here, my neighbor’s doorbell has an EYE, and the eye speaks with his voice.
The Sacred Rituals
USA. Your weather report is performed as THEATER, and I have become a devoted patron.
The Sacred Rituals
USA. A backyard. A man. A grill. Four hours.
The Sacred Rituals
In America they told me the football game starts at 1 PM.
The Bewilderment
My neighbor has a key to my house.
The Enormous
Americans keep a second refrigerator in the garage.
The Enormous
A Five Guys in a strip mall. I had heard the burgers here were honest. A samurai goes where the food
The Sacred Rituals