How Killer Rice Crippled Tokyo and the Japanese Navy

In 1877, Japan’s Meiji Emperor watched his aunt, the princess Kazu, die of a common malady: kakke. If her condition was typical, her legs would have swollen, and her speech slowed. Numbness and paralysis might have come next, along with twitching and vomiting. Death often resulted from heart failure.

The emperor had suffered from this same ailment, on-and-off, his whole life. In response, he poured money into research on the illness. It was a matter of survival: for the emperor, his family, and Japan’s ruling class. While most diseases ravage the poor and vulnerable, kakke afflicted the wealthy and powerful, especially city dwellers. This curious fact gave kakke its other name: Edo wazurai, the affliction of Edo (Edo being the old name for Tokyo). But for centuries, the culprit of kakke went unnoticed: fine, polished, white rice… Atlas Obscura

Monstercat Silk - The Best of Shingo Nakamura

12 of The Best Laotian Dishes You Need to Eat

Laos food is vibrant, colorful, packed with herbs and chilies, and the combinations of ingredients are guaranteed to thrill your taste-buds. Although the food of Laos, or Laotian food, is making waves across the world – it’s rightfully gaining popularity – it still has so much more potential. From Luang Prabang to Vientiane, you will not believe how complex, yet refreshing at the same time, the flavors of Laos cooking can be… Migrationology

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