Japanalyst - Japan blogs

Sannen-zaka - A Walk Down Memory Lane

Andrew Joseph — Sun, 27 May 2012 04:01:00 +0000

: Sannen-zaka - A Walk Down Memory Lane : Sannen-zaka - A Walk Down Memory Lane

The photo above is a part of Kyoto-shi (Kyoto City) in Kyoto-ken (Kyoto Prefecture) in Japan. This section of town is known as Sannen-zaka, which translates to 'three-year hill'.

The street has been restored to the glory of two hundred years previous, and aside from the style of dress and the excessive electrical lines above, one does get the feeling of being a wandering ronin (masterless samurai) looking to purchase a fine meal at a small inn and hopefully find a job that will allow him to stay a while longer in the city.

Along with the nearby Ninen-zaka (two year hill), the street is named after when the roads were laid out when the Imperial City of Kyoto was first built in and around the 8th century AD.

Both streets are laid out with old style wooden buildings featuring homes, traditional shops, tourist shops (of course) and restaurants.

In the photo above that I took in 1993 during Golden Week, you can tell that it had rained earlier that morning - what with the slick street and the washed out sky. Of course it rained. I am the Ame Otoko (Rain Man), and it always rains when I travel in Japan.

My traveling companion for this week-long trip was the foxy Trisha Pepper, who spoke Japanese fluently (thank god - a trip upon which I didn't get lost!!!), and she had red hair. Two out of three for me! Bigger boobs was the missing third.

I kid. I don't really care about boobs.

You were expecting a follow-up joke, weren't you? I can be serious sometimes.

Trisha was one of the smartest people I ever met in Japan (excluding maybe Kristine, Nobuko and Junko - a 4-way tie!). That statement will upset my buddy Matthew, so let me rephrase it to say the 'smartest woman'.

She also had a wicked sense of humor, that sadly was better than my own. No. I did not sleep with her. She had a boyfriend back home, and as far as I was concerned, she remained faithful. Damn right I would have slept with her if given half a chance. Crazy chick could hold her alcohol, too! You will meet Trisha soon enough.

For those of you who may not know, Kyoto translates to 'capital city' and was indeed once the imperial capital of Japan. Now with 1.5 million people, 1,000 temples and better weather now that I have left, Kyoto is the capital of the same-named prefecture.

By the way: Kyo-to... To-kyo... it was done for a reason...

Cheers,
Andrew Joseph

And yes... the photo belongs to Andrew Joseph. For non-commercial purposes, anyone may use it if you note that I am the photographer.

As you may have noticed, I completely changed the look of this blog. It looks slick, doesn't it. If you are having a difficult time navigating it, so am I. If it wasn't for me leaving my You Know What I Hate blog as it was, I would not be able to get into the damn blog to add new article - in fact... I wouldn't even be able to change it back to the old version (if I wanted to), because the buttons I have that allow me to do that are not showing up. I can still get around this and my other two blogs - How To Survive Women is also graced with a new look - but it ain't easy. Oh the suffering I do for my art!

Kobe Travel Guide

Japan Australia — Sun, 27 May 2012 01:49:00 +0000

: Kobe Travel Guide : Kobe Travel Guide

Image from JNTOKobe is one of my favourite places in Japan and it is considered to be one of Japan’s most attractive cities. Kobe is a cosmopolitan port city with an international vibe that attracts a lot of foreigners. Kobe make a great travel destination due to its size with most of the sights reachable on foot from the main train stations.

The highlights of Kobe include:

Ijinkan (異人館) - Kobe’s number one attraction is Ijinkan, which is a collection of Western-style houses dating from the 19th century. A lot of these houses date back to 1868 when Kobe was opened for foreign trade.

Kobe Tower - The unofficial symbol of the city of Kobe offering great views of the city for (¥600).

Shin-Kobe Cable Car - Located near Shin Kobe station, the ropeway takes you to the top of Mt Rokko, where the views over Kobe and the bay are amazing.

Nunobiki Habu-koen - A 40 acre garden located on Mt Rokko. It is a herb garden and complex of gardens with restaurants and shops. The garden features over 200 varieties of herbs. Admission to the garden along with a round-trip ride on the ropeway is ¥1200.

Nankinmachi (Kobe Chinatown) - A great place to visit in the evening with the illuminating lights. The area has lots of restaurants and street food. Famous for its pork buns (豚饅頭).

Kobe Harbour Land – A fun area with lots of cool restaurants and entertainment. It features a mega mall shopping area.

Kobe Beef – One of the world’s most famous beef that just melts in your mouth. There are lots of different dishes to be sampled in Kobe with Kobe beef. Some of my favourites include Kobe Beef Curry and Kobe Beef Steak.

The great thing about Kobe is you can also make some side trips to Osaka and Himeji, which are close by.
Ijinkan from JNTO
Amazon.com Widgets

Kiss Me – Kyosuke Himuro

Around Tokyo — Sun, 27 May 2012 01:11:28 +0000

: Kiss Me – Kyosuke Himuro : Kiss Me – Kyosuke Himuro

Here is the latest from Around Tokyo:

Around Tokyo`s new Song of the Week is, “Kiss me”, by Kyosuke Himuro. From 1981 to 1988 he was a member of the popular rock group Boowy. After the group disbanded he embarked on a successful solo career. Little known outside Japan, he has frequently played with Stevie Stevens (best known as the backing guitarist for [...]

Thanks for reading!
Around Tokyo - Tokyo for the tourist

Real Necomimi is Now Available for $110

kal01 — Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:52 +0000

: Real Necomimi is Now Available for $110 : Real Necomimi is Now Available for $110

A year ago I posted about the Real Necomimi (Nekomimi) innovation product by Neurowear, and now it’s available to all for $110 on CrunchyRoll. A Necomimi is cat ears that wiggles when ever you concentrate or relax, controlled by your brainwave.

[YouTube Link]

Via: CrunchyRoll

Manpuku Roh Dinner

Muravej — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:50:37 +0000

: Manpuku Roh Dinner : Manpuku Roh Dinner

On Saturday evening, Katya and I walked to Manpuru Roh, a Chinese restaurant: Katya from home and me from the office. We met in front of the restaurant. Inside was full of customers. I wish it were Dohshinboh, our favorite … Continue reading →

A Short Story On Nintendo's Mario

Andrew Joseph — Sat, 26 May 2012 12:01:00 +0000

: A Short Story On Nintendo's Mario : A Short Story On Nintendo's Mario

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As promised in the last blog entry, here is my tribute to Miyamoto Shigeru (surname first), the man who created Donkey Kong and thus the whole Mario World series of Nintendo video games everyone loves - though one of my all-time favorites was Donkey Kong Country for the Nintendo 64 - I loved playing it more than any Mario game. Still... Mario did first appear in the arcade game Donkey Kong.

My homage is a short story I wrote back in 1991 or 1992. I call it...

THE TWENTY-FIVE CENT INTERVIEW

Hey, wotsah op? Thees eez Mario. Ya, that'sa right -
the guy froma the videoh games. Anyhow, theesa guy froma the paypa he come ana
aska me fora my story. Mamma mia! Ifa people awantta know, I'lla tell it.

It
wuz abouta twenny-fiveah years ago when I wuzza mindinga my owna bizzness,
"Mario's Construction", that was notta ever, evena remotely connected
to the Maffiosa or my cuzin, Tony. I swear ona my mamma's grave. Godda rest her
soul. Now, wherea wuz I? Oh yah - I hadda one of Don Francesco's new buildings
going op when alluva sudden theesa stupido, smelly, uhgaly monkey he comma anda
take my secretary onna toppa my building. I no like it, see. It'sa bad for
bizness and besides - nobody makesa da monkey shines at my gal! (Don't tella my
wife - she'll a kill me.)

When
I finally gotta my secretary back, I hadda stoppa the monkey. So, I blew op the
building. He shoulda die, but no - he land onna his head, so he wasa okay.
Fungoul.

I
hateah them stupido monkeys. After I brokah the building down, I gotta my ass
sued. I couldinna take ita no moh, so I tooka the monkey to the Africa with me so I coulda capture hissa baby, too.
Ha-ha. Of course, thata little runt bastard nearly killed me a few times - and
he gotta his poppa back. So, I gotta my brother Luigi. He hateah da monekys,
too. He used to be an organa grinder until hea found hisa partner wuza skimming
offa da top.

Together
we set offa to catch them monkey bastards - but, somethinga happened! We seemed
to slip into a messa alternate realities. I know thata phrase. I learn fromma
my son, Guido's Micronaut dolls. He no likka the monkeys, too, but he say I wasa crazy in the head and shoulda leaveah da stupido monkey alone. He showa
disarespect to hisa father, so I hadda his godfather speak to him. Thata fixed
him. Ha.

It's
a strange place, thissa alternate world. There'sa dinosaurs anda dragons anda
alla kinds of stoff. I know them monkeys izza hiding somewhere here - but the
worrsa part is thata those damn Japanese controla the everything!! Hey! Iffa my
cuzin Tony readsa this (sorry, hasa someone read it to him), he shouda bring somma
heza family here to make the Japs show somma respect. Ha-ha-ha!!!

Okay.
I gotta go finda that stupido monkey - buta remember – unless your pasta needs
something mor than a tomate, watchout! Thosa stupido musharooms messa you op
real good. Fungoul.

Story by Andrew Joseph

Look, if the Japanese can create a beloved video game character that is so obviously Italian-looking, I can make him speak like an extra from a Chico Marx movie.

A new monthly veggie box option from now through November

aciara14 — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:57:33 +0000

: A new monthly veggie box option from now through November : A new monthly veggie box option from now through November

Finding safe, pesticide-free, low or no additive, organic and/or radiation-free produce in Japan can be a challenge at times, especially if your Japanese isn't up to par. Not everyone is interested in this, or cares, I understand, but if this is something that concerns you or if you just want the convenience of a vegetable box, rest assured there are options.

I previously wrote about various places in Japan you can order veggie boxes from, some in English, but most in Japanese. Note that most of these places don't just carry vegetables and fruit, but most also offer meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and/or dry goods. I also explained how to sign up for one of the companies, Oisix, online.

If you've already done that and it's working out for you, yay!

If not, but you're still interested in signing up for a veggie box, you might be interested in the service that Wa Navi is providing this year. They're calling it the "Harvest of Hope 2012 Project" and will deliver fresh, low-agrochemical vegetables from Hokkaido Hopeland Farm twice a month starting in May and ending after the harvest season in November. The May order is going out tomorrow so it's too late for that one, but you can start in June. Delivery dates are preset, and you can either sign up for the entire season, or choose when you want to receive a box, as often or as little as you'd like.

The items for each month's box are also set (as an example), but they may vary month to month depending on the weather, market, among other factors.

Here are some examples:

June asparagus (green and white), leafy vegetables (mustard leaf, lettuce, etc), mini tomatoes
July lettuce, broccoli, snap beans, cabbage, green pepper
August tomato, bell peppers, green pepper, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, goya, shishito peppers
September corn, edamame, kabocha, broccoli, cabbage, tomato, eggplant, green peppers
October potatoes, kabocha, carrots, onions, broccoli, cabbage, daikon
November same as October

I asked what "low-agrochemical" means in this case, and was told that they avoid using chemicals as much as possible at the farm. They don't spray the vegetables, they use natural fertilizers, and hand-pick bugs off the produce. It's also worth mentioning, as I think I've mentioned in the past, that acquiring the organic certification here in Japan is extremely difficult, so many farmers in Japan, even if they farm organically, don't bother with getting the certification.

As an optional extra, Wa Navi said they will also be sourcing organic, non-homogenized and low-temperature pasteurized whole milk and yogurt from Asurano Farm in Hokkaido.

From Wa Navi:

"Their signature milk is produced from free-range cows that eat pesticide-free Hokkaido grass, and is packed and sent directly from Hokkaido. They are also dedicated to their unique pasteurization process which conserves important vitamins, minerals, and protein. The calcium of the milk is quickly absorbed, so it is perfect for children growing up."
Other optional extras includes Ezobuta sausages made from free-range pork and additive-free string cheese made from jersey cow milk, produced at Hopeland Farm.

For every veggie box sold, they will be donating 300 yen to organizations supporting expectant mothers and mothers with young children who were affected by last year's earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku.

Cost (cool ship delivery fees included)

Veggie Box - 3,500 Yen

Dairy - 720 Yen
Includes 1 litre milk (290 yen) and 500 ml sweetened yogurt (350 yen) from Asurano Farm in Hokkaido, Also includes additional 80 yen fee for ice.

Sausage/Cheese - 1,430 Yen
Includes thin-skinned Ezo-buta pork frankfurter-style sausages (1,050 yen) and Momohana string cheese (380 yen)

Course A: Veggie Box Only ￥3,500
Course B: Veggie Box + Dairy ￥4,220
Course C: Veggie Box + Sausage/Cheese ￥4,930
Course D: Veggie Box + Dairy + Sausage/Cheese ￥5,650

Residents in Fukushima prefecture get a 300 yen discount.

How to Order

You can fill out the online form with your contact details and then choose the dates you would like to receive your order. Changes and cancellations can be made in the future, but must be received five days prior to the next delivery date.

A few things to note

I think this box could be a good option for some individuals or families, which is why I'm sharing it here on SiJ. However, the box only comes once a month, so this may not work for you, depending on how much you eat or where you source produce or dairy. We get weekly boxes - you can find some other veggie box places here, but I should mention that most don't have English signup/support, which is a plus for Wa Navi.

The produce isn't certified organic and some chemicals are used in the soil, though the farmers do try to focus on using as few chemicals as possible, as mentioned above, so this could be an issue for some folks.

I wasn't reimbursed in any way to share this. I think it's a helpful resource and Wa Navi is also a non-profit. If you try it out, let us know what you think!

***

You might also be interested in learning how to find a farmer's market in your part of Japan.

Creator of Mario Bros. Gains Top Score For Humanities

Andrew Joseph — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:01:00 +0000

: Creator of Mario Bros. Gains Top Score For Humanities : Creator of Mario Bros. Gains Top Score For Humanities

For those of you who have ever played a Nintendo video game, chances
are you've played a creation by one of the 'gods' of video game industry.

Miyamoto Shigeru, 59, created the now simplistic yet highly addictive
Donkey Kong video game that would have bankrupted me if I hadn't figured out
how to do the old quarter-on-a-string trick on the coin-operated games at
arcades and local convenience stores.

Ahhhh... the countless hours spent staring at a screen leaping over
barrels tossed by a big ape on top of a construction site, while my little
Italian-American carpenter, Mario, tries to rescue the kidnapped blonde
(Princess Peach) with the huge knockers. I was a lonely, teenager - I imagine
her the way I want to imagine her.

Born in Sonobe, Kyoto-ken in Japan, Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 after studying industrial
design.

Miyamoto took Donkey Kong and made the poor ape's antagonist a video
game legend, first with Donkey Kong Junior involving the Ape's son trying to
rescue his caged papa from Donkey from the evil Mario.

I figured Miyamoto killed the franchise with horrible third
Mario-related game, Mario Bros., that now had Mario and his freshly introduced
little brother Luigi as plumbers going down into the sewers.

Luckily Miyamoto helped bring Mario into everyone's homes when
Ninetendo brought out the Famicon video game system for the home back in the 80s. He then created such
stand-out games as the Zelda series, Star Fox, F-Zero... and apparently Wii Fit
and Wii Music.

Anyhow, on May 23, 2012, Miyamoto was presented with Spain's Prince of
Asturias Prize for his role in revolutionizing the video game industry.
Actually, the prize is a communications and humanities award, and the award's
committee honored him for: "excluding violence from his creations"
and turning video games into "a medium capable of bringing people together
regardless of sex, age or social or cultural status."

Says Miyamoto, "I will continue my efforts so that video games
will continuously be able to offer fun and joy to people of all generations all
around the world."

The selection jury adds in a statement: "With these creations, he
has converted the video game into a social revolution and has managed to
popularise it among a sector of the population that had not previously accessed
this kind of entertainment.

"Noted for excluding violence from his creations, Miyamoto has
revolutionized the industry."

This comment about a lack of violence in his creations is a bit of a
stretch if one has only ever played the Wii games or the Super Mario World
series... Star Fox involves shooting the crap out of other spacecraft; Zelda is
killing things all the time even though he plays a calming ocarina - he has a
sword for god's sake! He kills people with his sword! F-Zero was a race car
game series - and even though I haven't played it in 15 years, I'm pretty sure
I got to run or blast other cars off the road. Heck - have you ever played a
Mario race game? You are expected to cheat to win... blasting opponents,
dropping oil slicks... and look at the original Donkey Kong... collapsed
buildings... Donkey Kong Jr. has Mario taunting and teasing a young ape with
the capture of his dad... and dude... if you've ever played a Mario World game,
you know that when you eat a mushroom it messes with you giving you a PCP high.

Whatever. His creations have created a lot of fun for kids and adults
alike...

The Prince of Asturias Prize comes with an award of 50,000 gold tokens
(E50,000 or Cdn/US $64,000).

As an added bonus, eight hours after publishing this, I shall post my
homage to Miyamoto with a short story I wrote about 20 years ago while living
in Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan.You lucky, lucky bastards.

Cheers!

Andrew Joseph

Katya’s Roses in Bloom

Muravej — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:46:25 +0000

: Katya’s Roses in Bloom : Katya’s Roses in Bloom

The weather is getting warmer everyday. Katya’s roses are getting in bloom, too.

Cats of Moscow

nekochan — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:03:46 +0000

: Cats of Moscow : Cats of Moscow

I’m back already!
Originally I had planned to do three entries about Moscow, one for (almost) each day but there are so many pictures that I had to split them even more. Furthermore I just thought that the cats of Moscow deserve an own entry. If you ask yourself why, just look for yourself…

This lively backyard was probably the cosiest place I’ve been in Moscow. A small cat empire in middle of a huge city. There were no other intruders except of us, a a sloppy and overprotective dog and some birds. But they seemed to respect each other and to get along together. Silvankun even started to play with the tiny ones that were obviously very curious. I think cats look different from country to country but these really impressed me. Some looked like small lions and they behaved so hierarchical!

*Nyaaa* do you see the tiny black cat in front of the big dog? so cuuute! The dog didn’t do anything…

The atmosphere in that backyard was truly special and I enjoyed very much to absorb some of it. It was the ideal place to relax for a while from all the traffic and rush that was going on outside that yard. At some point however, the overprotective dog started barking and lured out an old Russian Babushka who started shouting at us and kicked us out.

To see more cats of Moscow, read on!

Want to see even more cats? Take a look at my entry about an island in Japan that has more feline than human inhabitants: Cats of Tashirojima
The next entry about Moscow is going to be a blast. Giantic buildings on fire, gold, ships and pomp. I also wanted to say Thank You to everyone who motivated me to keep nekoblog as it is, with many different topics! I’m also still working at a slightly new layout so stay tuned pumpkins! I can’t wait to read your opinion! Have a nice weekend everyone!

byebye,

Osaka Government Survey Finds 110 City Workers With Tattoos

Andrew Joseph — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

: Osaka Government Survey Finds 110 City Workers With Tattoos : Osaka Government Survey Finds 110 City Workers With Tattoos

When you look at the headline, the response of people not living in Japan is BFD (big effin' deal).

But, unfortunately, discovering that 110 of the City of Osaka's employees have tattoos is a cause for alarm for anyone who believes in social freedoms.

Check out this story I wrote a couple of weeks ago HERE about the mayor's plan to send out a survey requesting its 34,000 employees (not including teachers) if they had tattoos and to indicate on the front and backside of a drawing of a human body just where such markings are located.

Well... despite no legal obligation to do so, the employees, like good little sheep, filled out the surveys.

Apparently the Japanese do not mind hiding a lie, but will not actually lie. Some 73 members of the Osaka Environment Bureau, 15 from the
Transportation Bureau and seven (7) from the Public Works Bureau, all admitted in the survey (with their names on it) that they did indeed possess ink.

What are those bureaus? Essentially it means that a lot of people involved in sanitation or subway operations have tattoos.

Why does the government of Osaka want to know? Well, thanks to the honesty, it is going to set up some rules for the workers, specifically the tattooed ones where employees are not allowed to expose their tattoos during work hours.

The City has unofficially said it will consider relocating tattooed workers. By this, Japan - It's A Wonderful Rife assumes they mean employees who deal more often with the public will no longer be allowed to deal with the public.

What's the big deal about having a tattoo? While I do not have one and don't see the need to permanently mark myself up artistically - what would I put on myself, my brother does have a few (but don't tell our dad!), an uncle, too, my wife and brother-in-law have one, more than a few lovers, one-night stands et al of mine have them, co-workers have them - and good for them. Love and do as you will. It's not for me, but I can certainly appreciate a good quality piece of art - especially when it means something to the person.

But in Japan - having a tattoo meant you were in the Yakuza. A gentleman's business club, if you will. Screw the fact that it is now 2012 and tattoos are a form of self-expression and art (and always have been). Young people not even remotely connected to the Yakuza have tattoos.

The problem isn't so much that the government of Osaka is afraid of the tattoos... it's that its constituents might be.

To remove the possibility that the average non-tattooed citizen might think the city is overrun by the Yakuza, the city of Osaka - and its mayor especially - have overreacted.

Sad but true.

This Hello Kitty tattoo is frightening, isn't it? Not.

Files by Andrew Joseph

Train Station Noodles

TokyoCheapo — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:59:20 +0000

: Train Station Noodles : Train Station Noodles

Westerners who have eaten at one of the many noodle eateries throughout Japan will no doubt be familiar with the local custom of noisy slurping. I personally love this little gem of cultural difference, it’s always fascinating to see a custom that in one country is perfectly normal and acceptable and in another is borderline [...]

Parenting across cultures

bigdoom — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:44:45 +0000

: Parenting across cultures : Parenting across cultures

As a child I was heavily involved in sports and that kept me out of a lot of trouble. Enrolling children in sports (and alike hobbies) was the way parents in our socioeconomic status gave us the freedom to learn life lessons independent from them.Parenting is universal, but is also heavily influenced by family and cultural patterns. In some areas of Africa, culture, the land, and economically con

List of Japanese language schools in Manila – Philippines

nsoergel — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:58:58 +0000

: List of Japanese language schools in Manila – Philippines : List of Japanese language schools in Manila – Philippines

Here is a list of Japanese language schools in Manila, Philippones, in alphabetical order. Please be aware that this is just a list without any recommendation since we do not yet have enough information about each school. If you have been a student of one of these schools please write a comment. If you are [...]

Japan Requests U.S. Remove Comfort Woman Memorial

Andrew Joseph — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:01:00 +0000

: Japan Requests U.S. Remove Comfort Woman Memorial : Japan Requests U.S. Remove Comfort Woman Memorial

I recently read a story about how two teams of Japanese officials (no mention was made as to what or who they officially represented) travelled to New York City to ask government officials (again, no idea what department) to remove a plaque remembering Korean comfort women used by the Japanese military during WWII.

Situated outside a public library in Palisades Park (Hey! Isn't Palisades Park in New Jersey?!), the team of Japanese complainers stopped by twice this May to see about getting the 2010 memorial removed, for which Japan - It's A Wonderful Rife assumes is because it embarrasses Japan.

Japan should be embarrassed by this.

Yes, it should be embarrassed about its role in the heinous crime against women, but it should be equally as embarrassed that it should request that the memorial be removed.

Look... I know that statistically-speaking there may not be many of the victims or rapists still alive. But it was a horrible, horrible crime. A crime against humanity.

Canada, New Zealand and Australia utilize the term 'Lest We Forget' when we acknowledge the veteran soldiers who participated in wars to protect the rights of innocents. That's what we do.

Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them.

The brass plaque on a stone block reads: "In memory of the more than 200,000 women and girls who were abducted by the armed forces of the government of imperial Japan. Known as 'comfort women', they endured human rights violations that no peoples should leave unrecognized. Let us never forget the horrors of crimes against humanity."

It was dedicated on October 23, 2010 there in Town of Palisades Park in the County of Bergen, New Jersey.

Yes... the stupid article I first read, did indeed get the State incorrect. It is New Jersey!

Obviously, the Japanese attempt to stifle this expression of memorial was deemed distasteful to all non-Japanese involved.

Palisades Park, which has about 20,000 residents, has over half its residents being of Korean descent.

Back in December of 2011, the contentious comfort woman discussion was brought back into the arena after a bronze statue honoring the victims was erected in Seoul, South Korea.

The real contentious part was the decision to erect it across the street from the Japanese embassy there.

Owtch.

The statue of a seated teenaged Korean comfort girl has upset Japan, and says the statue contravenes Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on the dignity of foreign missions.

Of course, South Korea does not call the statue a comfort woman memorial... it's officially called a Peace Memorial. It's a beautiful, sad piece of art.

The comfort memorial, I mean Peace Memorial in Seoul, South Korea.

Now... at least since the issue of comfort women arose back in 1991, Japan has tried to make amends, as they have formally apologized, expressed remorse and responsibility and even offered to set up a Cdn/US $1-billion (~¥79,643,790,000) fund for the victims.

But Korea - or rather some Koreans - say that those actions just aren't good enough.

Apparently because the monies for the fund would be coming from the private sector, the surviving victims say 'no thanks' and want the Japanese government to foot the bill.

The main problem presented by Japan is that according to the 1965 treaties, Japan says it should be exempt from having to pay individual
compensation for the stupid stuff it did while in its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 - 1945. As such, it also includes the issues of the Comfort Women even though it did not come to light until many years later.

You know what? While I know these women and their families suffered terribly, take the damn private money and spend it - while there is still time left to possibly enjoy it! Who really cares where the money is coming from! Take it and spend it on yourself, family, friends, charity - whatever. Why hold it up? It's been 67+ years! I'm not saying to forget - and maybe you don;t even need to forgive - but please, don't let someone else's evil stop you from enjoying life! How does holding out hoping for money from the Government of Japan actually change the fact that these poor women were uses as sex slaves? Screw principle! Do something nice with the money! For others, if not yourself!
Sure... maybe it's not about the money. It's about punishing the Government of Japan. No problem... I see that, too. But that government is long since past. It's not even about the sins of the father any more... it's the sins of the grandfather.

Besides... do you really think Japan has an extra $1-billion lying around? I think not! The damn country is nearly broke!

Take the money! Turn an evil into something good.

So... my diatribe is over.

Korean Comfort Women

Back on May 1, 2012, according to a more reputable report I read, the first Japanese delegation to Palisades Park was led by the consul general Hiroki Shigeyuki (surname first) who acted nicely and presented his case as to why he was there.

On May 6, 2012, a second group arrived led by four members of the Japanese Parliament, who, let's just say, weren't all that nice. Group #2 were members of Japan's official opposition part, the Liberal Democratic Party.

While trying to convince the Palisades Park officials that the monument should be removed, these four idiots set a new bar for idiocy. They tried to convince the Americans that the comfort women were not forced to become sex slaves.

Oh my Buddah. Are you kidding me?

Palisades Park mayor James Rotundo says: “They said the comfort women were a lie, that they were set up by an outside agency, that they were women who were paid to come and take care of the troops.”

Continuing his report of the meeting, the mayor notes, “I said, ‘We’re not going to take it down, but thanks for coming.’”

Okay... after hearing about this, maybe Japan should make the Liberal Democratic Party contribute the $1-billion in reparations. Idiots.

Maybe they would feel differently if the rest of the world had no pity for the atomic bomb victims? Or tell them to suck it up, it wasn't that hot.

Japan, you have no right to ask anyone to remove anything in another country. The same with Seoul's cheeky memorial statue across the street from the embassy in South Korea. I guess they are still pissed off at you.

Suck it up and move on. Hey... couldn't the private sector donate $1-billion to the gov't and then they could give it to the victims... but do it under the table?

I know, I know... no matter how dirty the secret, it will come out.

Files compiled by Andrew Joseph

Kanji Card – 法

nsoergel — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:17:49 +0000

: Kanji Card – 法 : Kanji Card – 法

Kanji – JLPT N3 – 法 Meaning Law, Methods Onyomi Hou/Ha-/Ho- Kunyomi Strokes 8 (click on the pick to start the video) Vocabulary including the kanji 法 Kanji Furigana Romaji Meaning JLPT 方法ほうほう Houhou A way, a method - 法律ほうりつ Houritsu The Law - 法王ほうおう Houou The Pope - Kanji Radicals inside [...]

Drop Dead Москва

nekochan — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:53:02 +0000

: Drop Dead Москва : Drop Dead Москва

Hello there!
How is life treating you? I’m kind of sick with a really bad cough and other unpleasant things.. At least I was able to go through all the Moscow pictures and organise them. Can you imagine how many pictures I take?! It’s a little insane I have to admit but this is the curse of digital photography!

GUM is the name of the main department store in many cities of the former Soviet Union, known as State Department Store…

The flight from Zurich to Moscow left at 11 pm and lasted three and a half hours. We arrived in Moscow at 4 am and had to wait for an hour to take the train from the airport to the city. Even if I didn’t really get the chance to sleep I didn’t feel too tired when we arrived. How could I?! Everywhere I looked there were strange and interesting constructions and landscapes! The outskirts with their colossal industrialized apartment blocks (Plattenbau) were pretty impressing. I will show you some impressions of it in a later entry.

We arrived 30min. later at the Belorusskaya train station and took the Zamoskvoretskaya subway line which brought us near the famous red square. I’ve seen pictures of the subway in Moscow but seeing it for real was kind of mind-blowing. They are all different and each one is luxurious. Some stations are located as deep as 84 meters (275 ft) and go as fast as 100 km/h (62 mph). The nice side effect of arriving that early in the morning was, that we got to see the subway and afterwards the red square with only very few people.

The weather was gloomy and the streets I saw when I emerged from the underground were devastating. To me they looked like freeways! And they drove like on freeways… we’ve seen two car accidents in four days.. I was quite shocked.
The buildings were as the streets, enormous and imposing. The red square is surrounded by the Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the GUM department store and the Kremlin and is obviously huge. I love the Saint Basil’s Cathedral because it looks like it comes straight out of a fairy tale. Isn’t the architecture impressing? The bulings were partially red and many churches had colorful domes.

We stayed at two different hotels but one ose definitely much better. The interior was cosy and freaky and the staff quite nice. The other one was to put it mildly, the exact opposite. So if you ever happen to be in Moscow, I would totally recommend you the Artel.

To my horror, the food was not as delicious as I had expected it to be.. These Maki though, were totally acceptable. Actually there was only one restaurant I really liked. The owners were a Russian vegetarian and a Korean woman. Do I need to say more? The food was sooooo good!!! I will tell you more about it in the next Moscow entry.

All the pictures you’ve seen were taken on the first day. I didn’t want to mix them because the atmosphere of each day is very different. There will be two more entries coming up about Europe’s largest city Москва so stay tuned lovelies!

byebye,

Katya’s return schedules

Muravej — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:48:26 +0000

: Katya’s return schedules : Katya’s return schedules

Vladivostok Air withdrew from Japan at the end of March, and Aeroflot took its part. However, Aeroflot did not succeed the route from Narita to Vladivostok. How is Katya going to be back to Vladivostok? I called to Delta today … Continue reading →

Let's Play Nutcracker!

Andrew Joseph — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

: Let's Play Nutcracker! : Let's Play Nutcracker!

One of my favorite television show is Supernatural. It's kind of like the Hardy Boys meets The X-Files. I've been watching it from Day One and own all of the DVDs, but I do draw the line at joining any fan clubs. As Groucho Marx once said, "I would never join any club that would have me as a member."

The show involves brothers Sam and Dean Winchester hunting down demons and other monsters that roam the Earth. It sounds simplistic, but it is not. It's very entertaining (much to my buddy Mike Rogers' chagrin), and I do like it it a lot.

Anyhow... in this episode entitled Changing Channels from Season 5, Episode 8, the brothers are trapped in television land by a Djinn who enjoys screwing with the boys.

In the video I have here, the boys are thrust into a made-up Japanese television show called Nutcracker. Watch the video to see why:

I don't know about you women, but I'm pretty sure every guy out there had his gonads scrunch up nice and tight during Sam's breathtaking scene.

Yes, it is a parody... but I have watched enough Japanese television to know that the Japanese are dangerously amused by slapstick and/or physical comedy, and have indeed often parlayed that into some great, if not violently inane television.

Anyhow... not every episode is as wacky as this clip. Sometimes it is downright dark, what with a war between good and evil, the four horsemen, prophets, armageddon, Paradiso, Inferno and Purgatorio. Comedy, Pathos, Violence. What more do you want?

Hope you enjoyed the video and might consider renting or purchasing the first season of Supernatural for some cool entertainment.

Cheers,
Andrew Joseph

Angie thinks... When is too high too high?

AlwaysAngie — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

: Angie thinks... When is too high too high? : Angie thinks... When is too high too high?

So, today, May 23rd, the tallest tower in the world, The Tokyo Sky Tree, opened for public viewing. To build this monstrous tower it took nearly 4 years, about \65 Billion (that's like $815 Million with today's exchange rate!), 500 to 1,200 people working on it per day (580,000 in total) And is 634 meters tall (2,081 feet).

About 8,000 people won tickets to enter the tower on the first day of it's public opening. Too bad it was raining! And...get this... tickets are sold out through July 10th! So anyone who is planning a trip to Tokyo between now and my birthday and think they're going to get to go up...if you don't already have your ticket, think again. Tickets will go on sale again on July 11th. Non-reserved ticket prices to go to the top of the Sky Tree cost \4,000 for 18+ and \3,300 for children.

Now, you might be asking yourself when I will be traveling to Tokyo for my chance to go to the top observation deck 450 meters above ground level... well, I won't be ... Ever. Not interested at all in going up into that tower. I've been in the Tokyo Tower, twice. And I hated it. I went once with some friends, and once with my Daddy. You can FEEL it swaying in the wind. UGH! No thank you. But this IS a historical event that I thought I'd chronicle for anyone in the future reading this. I was here on this day. HaHaHa!

Here are some pictures from my newspaper... the Daily Yomiuri English version.

The second day was a sunny day...

With the Tokyo Tower in the background...

** Sorry! You'll have to tilt your head to the right to see this one. I have no idea why it keeps turning like this. :-( **

I just don't understand the need for all these tall towers. I mean, really, what is the point? How high are we going to get before someone says, ok this is high enough?

Always Angie

Totally Cool Photo at Visit Japan Facebook

Jim Caldwell Redondo Beach — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:24:02 +0000

: Totally Cool Photo at Visit Japan Facebook : Totally Cool Photo at Visit Japan Facebook

AMAZING view from a mountaintop terrace above clouds. A breathtaking experience beyond imagination…

Not sure where this is but it is really cool nonetheless…somewhere above the clouds.

Checkout http://www.facebook.com/visitjapan

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Japan, Japan Photo, Japan Photography, Kyoto, Tokyo

Wrecking Crew Orchestra

Andrew Joseph — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:01:00 +0000

: Wrecking Crew Orchestra : Wrecking Crew Orchestra

Here's a video of the Japanese dance group the Wrecking Crew Orchestra - eight men who know their sh!t: Yokoi; Dominique; Take; Hanai; Bon; Sawada; Shohei, and; uu. Yes... uu.

I believe they are dancing to the song Lines in Wax by Flux Pavilion - feat. Foreign Beggars. At least that's what it said in the comments buried in another version of this video. Who knows... I'm not an expert in this techno musical genre.It could also just be Daft Punk's Arena. Feel free to teach me.

And yes, there is an American group that does the same type of performance, but this blog is about Japan. 'Nuff said. Except there is plenty of room in this world for spectacular, eye-popping theater.

Watch the video and prepare to have your breath taken away.

Coolio, eh?

I'm not sure what is up with me posting dance videos, but what the hell... I used to know of at least one person who likes dancing, though I'm unsure if she cares for this type... but, if she happens to find this blog, I'm certain she will enjoy the show! I did!

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

Hanamasa — Cheapest Supermarket for Meat, Fish & Vegies

TokyoCheapo — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:36:35 +0000

: Hanamasa — Cheapest Supermarket for Meat, Fish & Vegies : Hanamasa — Cheapest Supermarket for Meat, Fish & Vegies

The big format supermarkets like OK are all very well if you’re out in the suburbs, but if you find yourself in central Tokyo, you’ll find your options a lot more limited. With the smaller format supermarkets like Maruetsu Petit and Precce which proliferate in the central city, you’ll see prices for regular items at [...]

Kanji Card – 辺

nsoergel — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:33:44 +0000

: Kanji Card – 辺 : Kanji Card – 辺

Kanji – JLPT N3 – 辺 Meaning Vicinity Onyomi Hen Kunyomi Ata(ri) Strokes 5 (click on the pick to start the video) Vocabulary including the kanji 辺 Kanji Furigana Romaji Meaning JLPT 近辺きんぺん Kinpen The neighborhood - 辺りあたり Atari Around, in the neighborhood - - Kanji Radicals inside 辺 Radical Radical name Meaning [...]

Jumping Dogeza

aonghascrowe — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:45:55 +0000

: Jumping Dogeza : Jumping Dogeza

Before you can understand what the "Jumping Dogeza" is, it is helpful to first familiarize yourself with the multitude of ways the Japanese apologize, including "the quintessential apology": dogeza (土下座):

According to the Nico Nico Pedia, to perform the "Jumping Dogeza" a person wishing to make an apology must first jump up into the air, and upon landing prostrate himself on the ground. Examples of Jumping Dogeza can be found in the following videos:

And some examples of "Extreme Dogeza":

Do not try this at home.

Japanese Dance Dance Revolution - Yeah baby!

Andrew Joseph — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:01:00 +0000

: Japanese Dance Dance Revolution - Yeah baby! : Japanese Dance Dance Revolution - Yeah baby!

Uh... okay... Matthew sent me a link to this one.

It's bloody awesome.

Just watch the video. I'll continue when you are done. Volume is necessary. Not to loud now... you don't want to freak out the co-workers.

Okay... you're back. I had to watch it again, too. Strange, weird, WTF. But highly addictive.

The impressive part was that he was in synch, and that he pretty much went at full speed for two minutes!

So... what do you think? Does this guy work as the Bank Manager at your bank in Japan?

Cheers!
Andrew Joseph
PS: Does anyone else think that that little room is his entire apartment in Tokyo? I do.

Ramblings from my weekend

shoottokyo — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:47:05 +0000

: Ramblings from my weekend : Ramblings from my weekend

I hope everyone is enjoying the new ShootTokyo design. The last of the little clean up work was finished today and it is working as I want. You have to constantly sweat the small stuff if you want to end up with a very clean site. It is easy to lose your will power and let this or that go and suddenly you have a very piecemeal looking site. This is were my perfectionist obsessive personality is very useful.

I also launched an eBook over the weekend which I am giving away to subscribers of my newsletter for FREE. This one is a portable version of my post ‘How I shoot’. Its success far exceeded my expectations with more than 1,200 downloads in the first few days. The feedback I have gotten from people has been excellent and very encouraging. Information on how to get your copy here.

I am thinking of a couple of topics for future eBooks but would love to hear your thoughts. Here is what I am thinking:

1. Street Portraitist – Photographing Strangers

A lot of photographers don’t know how or aren’t sure how to approach a stranger to take their photo. This is something that people always struggle with. It’s something that comes naturally to me that I have had a lot of success with.

2. My Digital Workflow

I have been spending a lot of time this year reading everything I can get my hands on regarding digital workflow so I can work out a fast and effective system for managing my images, making them easy to find in the future and protecting them online. I know many people struggle with this topic so I think this could also be another good eBook.

Any other topics that you think would be good to cover? I would love to hear your thoughts…leave a comment and let me know.

I also launched my ShootTokyo T-Shirts. They are in the store and available for pre-order.

I found a few shots from when my brother Mark was visiting me in Tokyo a few weeks back…

I am very excited that I sold another print. I don’t proactively try to sell prints but will work with my printer in Tokyo if someone contacts me and wants a print. I am very happy with the image I sold as it was one that I needed to really work on shooting the same scene over and over until I got what I wanted. I talked about the process in ‘Working a shot’. It pays to be persistent.

Back at my favorite ‘Bake Shop‘ in Jiyugaoka. I just love this place, especially all of the crazy little decorations.

I am I not sure if these are weeds but they were growing in a crack in a drive way so I am going with weeds. I am always surprised how nice the weeds are in Japan.

Meet Nabona… I don’t know how the Japanese make things this good that only have 145 calories in them. These things are just awesome.

Let’s just say these are fueling my house right now…

`
I headed out last Friday to meet up with some photography friends but stopped off in Shibuya for a few shots on the way…

This guy thought it was pretty funny that I was photographing his shirt. Some shirts say the funnest things in Japan…

I am very conflicted after reading this one… should I stay or should I go?

Boy Bands live in Japan…

I finally upgraded to an iPad3 3G from my old 1st generation. It slips nicely into my camera bag and it is nice to have something bigger than a phone to browse on when I am on the go, check social netoworks, and read my Wall Street Journal, I meant photography magazines…

I am not sure you have a ‘Happy Family Life’ if you are buying your condoms out of a vending machine on a street corner…

There are Samurai everywhere in Japan…

My friend David Ventura pulled together a group of photographers for a get together… Photographers seem to be doing this all the time. This is one thing I love about photography. David just did a recent series on photographing Japanese barbers. Check out his portfolio to see the series.

We hung out at a cool place called Masuotei. I love places like this. It was more like we were hanging out in someone’s living room.

David without the phone in his face…

Meet Joanne…a photographer and Scientist.

Meet Jeff…another photography (see the theme).

It was a lot of talking shop and talking gear…

We finished up in time for last train…

Always fun people on the train at this hour…

I skipping photographing the eclipse and watch it with my family…

I realize the expectations are high for me and I can’t simply skip an event like this so I wrote up a tutorial of how to photograph an eclipse:

1. Hold glasses up to the sky
2. Hold a point and shoot camera up to the glasses
3. Press shutter

This is my first eclipse photo…I am very proud.

I headed to Shimokitazawa to see what it is all about. I have actually never been there! I actually just wanted a soup but got sucked into all of this…

If I was in charge… there would be a sale on Blue and Orange paperclips next week….

I love standing bars… it reminds me of Kichijoji.

Lots of interesting things to see in Shimokitazawa…

Meet Happy-chan… my 6 year old’s American Crayfish (ザリガニ).

Thanks for stopping by today… don’t forget to check out the eBook, leave me your thoughts on topics for future eBooks and check out the new ShootTokyo T-Shirts. I am off to Boston in the morning. Join me for Sunday’s Photowalk if you are in the area.

Obtaining information more important than friendships for Japanese Facebookers

KenYN — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:01:52 +0000

: Obtaining information more important than friendships for Japanese Facebookers : Obtaining information more important than friendships for Japanese Facebookers

The results of this survey from goo Research into SNS (Social Networking Service) usage as reported by japan.internet.com produces a couple of headscratch-worthy results, the one in the title and that maintaining friendships is more important than deepening them.

Demographics

Between the 8th and 11th of May 2012 1,076 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 15.9% in their teens, 18.6% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 12.0% aged sixty or older.

On second thoughts, perhaps maintaining is more important than deepening or widening from a Japanese perspective? Class reunions, for instance, are a regular feature of many people’s lives here, for all of primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. Perhaps these events are viewed more as an obligation, thus Facebook and mixi provide an easy way to link together and fulfil one’s societal role?

For me, both obtaining and generating information is most important, but that’s more because I am an anti-social git…

Research results

First, from the original sample, 574 people (or 53.3%) were currently using an SNS; note that goo Research usually categorises Twitter as one, but sadly this report did not detail which ones people actually did use. These 574 were then asked the following.

Q1: Do you disclose your real name on SNSs? (Sample size=574)

Yes, on all
27.2%

No, on none
46.0%

Yes on some, no on others
26.8%

Q2: What are your objectives for communicating on an SNS? (Sample size=574, multiple answer)

Votes
Percentage

Want to obtain valuable information
264
46.0%

Want to maintain friendships with friends
254
44.3%

Want to get to know people with compatible hobbies
226
39.4%

Want to deepen friendships with friends
219
38.2%

Want to generate, share information
161
28.0%

Want to widen my network of work, etc, contacts
55
9.6%

Other
11
1.9%

Nothing in particular
71
12.4%

Next, the sample 574 were asked what sorts of things they apply themselves to regarding using an SNS. The top there answers were 238 people saying they without fail try to log on every day, 118 take care not to post too much or too little, and 117 actively try to reply to friends’ posts. On the other hand, 209 people didn’t try to do make sure they did anything in particular.

Ramen dinner

Muravej — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:02:21 +0000

: Ramen dinner : Ramen dinner

This afternoon, Katya and I went out together for finishing a small business. In the evening on the way back, we had ramen dinner at Kagetsu, a major ramen chain store in Japan. Katya had not been there. Taste … Continue reading →

Too Much Packaging!

Andrew Joseph — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

: Too Much Packaging! : Too Much Packaging!

Here's an interesting video I found on You Tube of a gaijin (foreigner) who bought himself a meal at the local McDonald's restaurant in Japan.

There's nothing amazing about that, until you see the amount of packaging that is used for a typical take-out meal.

Just know that in Japan L-size means large. If you try and use 'Japanese' and say oki-sai (big size) they will have no idea what you are saying. At any place in any town in Japan. Essu-saizu; emmu-saizu; and eeru-saizu. Yup. S-size; Me-size; and L-size.

Damn video made me hungry. But... all I know is that while I enjoyed a Big Mac or two as much as the next person, I really liked the Teriaki Burger. Yes... McDonald's around the world have differing menus. You should try the Maharaja-Mac in India.

It's still a lot of packaging, though. Maybe McDonald's could talk to someone of their restaurants about this? Please?

Cheers
Andrew Joseph