Study Abroad Japan

Video: Motorcycle Touring Japan

2015-11-10T07:14:00.001+09:00

Video: Motorcycle Touring Japan

Why tour Japan by Motorcycle?

Here are ten reasons to see Japan by motorcycle

Book Review: From the Fatherland with Love by Ryu Murakami

2015-10-11T11:08:00.003+09:00

Book Review

From the Fatherland with Love by Ryu Murakami

Author: Ryu Murakami

Translated by: Ralph McCarthy, Charles De Wolf and Ginny Tapley Takemori

Publisher: Pushkin Press, London, UK .2013

ISBN: 978-1-908968-49-4

Pages: 668

Action, intrigue and powerful characters in a futuristic story

Ryu Murakami’s novel is one that I would love to see be made into a big screen movie, if It was I would imagine it would be like a Japanese version of a Die Hard movie with the characters of the Expendables fighting a rogue team to save their own country.

With an enormous cast of seventy five characters Murakami takes us on a fictional adventure set in Fukuoka, a large city on the southern island of Kyushu in Japan.

Researched to get the background, characters and set the scene he has created a detailed, action novel that will engage, inform and entertain the reader.

A rag - tag team of specialists live in an abandoned are of Fukuoka without the knowledge of the authorities as they have no certificate of residence. Left to their own devices over a number of years they have honed their skills and have been quietly and waiting for an opportunity to be of use to society. A change of circumstance occurs in their very city and they rise to the challenge

A slick, fast moving futuristic story with likeable characters, a story line interweaved with places, people and history. It has all the hallmarks you expect from a Ryu Murakami novel. Can’t wait for the movie version!

Book Review

From the Fatherland with Love by Ryu Murakami

Video: What is it like when you ride home a new motorcycle in Japan?

2015-03-14T08:44:00.002+09:00

Picture: Motorcycle Touring Japan

Here is a great video by Anthony Roman that shows what it 's like to take delivery of a new motorcycle in Japan and ride it home in the traffic. Hat tip to Anthony for being so prepared to film this memorable event and such excellent video quality, thanks very much! A great feeling. Having a motorcycle in Japan gives you great freedom.

It brings back the memories of when I bought my bike in Tokyo and rode it home in traffic, ecstatic and also a little unnerving with the volume of traffic and the amount of mental awareness you need to ride in Japan. As there is so much activity going on all around you, pedestrians, other bikes, scooters, trucks, passenger cars, courier bikes, road signals, speed limits, what is ahead, what is behind, changes, road conditions, how cars just stop sometimes with indicators sometimes with no warning. Best wishes on your new bike and safe riding

Video:

CBR400R Motorcycle ride in Japan - First ride from dealership

Source: Anthony Roman You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvnY-tUJv8Y

Video: Tokyo, Japan night drive

2014-09-06T13:36:00.003+09:00

Title: Tokyo Night Drive

Source: forevernewfrontier You Tube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8IdjST6QZg

Video: Vocaloid: Virtual Anime Character Hatsune Miku live in concert HD (Japanese)

2014-06-29T12:41:00.001+09:00

Video:

World is Mine Live in HD with lyrics in English

Source: BlackRock Shooter, You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4W-AgTDEMU

"Through the sale of compilation CD's live performances, and collaborations with businesses, the popularity of Hatsune Miku has risen to that of living artists, and perhaps even beyond. Through the Internet, that popularity has spread throughout Europe, America and Asia"

Source: Vocaloids: Leading the way to a new music scene

Niponica Magazine page 17, No: 9, 2013

Why do Japanese high school girls wear face masks?

2014-03-11T00:00:00.000+09:00

Picture: Japanese school students

¨high-school-age daughter wears one for a completely different reason. “She puts on a mask and sticks headphones in her ears so that people won’t bother her. It makes it harder for them to start talking to her.”¨

Source:

Why do Japanese people wear surgical masks? It’s not always for health reasons

By Casey Baseel

February 23rd 2014

Japan Today

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/why-do-japanese-people-wear-surgical-masks-its-not-always-for-health-reasons

Japanese love hotels a must try when you study abroad in Japan

2014-03-04T00:00:00.000+09:00

¨Japan's "Love Hotels" cater to almost every taste, offering a few hours of reasonably-priced privacy in a crowded country.And with the kind of occupancy rates that most hotels can only dream of, even during economic hard times, they are an almost recession-proof business.¨

Source: Afternoon delight: 'Love Hotels' booming for Japanese

February 17, 2014

The AGE newspaper

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/afternoon-delight-love-hotels-booming-for-japanese-20140217-32v0d.html#ixzz2u6ewIAeJ

Picture: Grilled fish enjoyed for breakfast in Japan

2014-02-25T00:00:00.000+09:00

Picture: Grilled fish for breakfast, Japan

Picture: Fresh bakery breakfast in Kyoto, Japan

2014-02-18T09:00:00.001+09:00

Picture: Fresh bakery breakfast in Kyoto, Japan

Picture: How to save money on bus trips in Japan?

2014-02-04T09:52:00.000+09:00

Picture: Kaisuken -
Discounted bus tickets used by Japanese customers

#1 Reasons to study in Japan? Omotenashi - Japanese Customer Service

2014-01-27T16:00:00.000+09:00

Video: Omotenashi, Japanese Hospitality

Source: Prime Ministers Office of Japan,

You Tube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xlf-gQZa3Y

Video:Cool vending machines Japan

2014-01-17T12:41:00.001+09:00

Source:

Japan Vending Machines are AWESOME 日本の自販機すごい！

Sharla in Japan, You Tube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqDUbVSJKvE&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLKYxoRPvyuVsyndGVk82eM8mDYBcVrPYr

Learn more:

Vending Machines: Coined Consumerism

by Christopher D. Salyers

Book Review: Thirst for love by Yukio Mishima

2014-01-08T17:31:00.003+09:00

Thirst for Love by Yukio Mishima

Japanese green tea found to reduce stroke by up to 20 percent

2013-12-21T08:47:00.004+09:00

Picture: Japanese green tea

" (In 2013 Japanese scientists)... discovered that drinking four or more cups of green tea a day reduces the risk of strokes by 20 percent."

Source:the small print

December 20, 2013

The 2013 Best of Small Print

By: Steve Trautlein

Dec 19, 2013

Issue: 1030

http://metropolis.co.jp/features/the-small-print/december-20-2013/

Video: What to enjoy on television when you study abroad in Japan

2013-10-05T09:51:00.003+09:00

Video: Japanese TV Commercials [ 2013 HOT SUMMER EDITION ]

Source: JPCMHD

Video: How to make a panda themed Japanese onagiri lunchbox

2013-10-04T08:52:00.003+09:00

Video: How to Make Cute Panda Onigiri

Source: emmymadeinjapan

You Tube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKT7pv77jKs&feature=em-uploademail

Gap year gives students a competitive advantage according to new research

2013-09-22T10:44:00.000+09:00

Picture: Train station elevator, Japan

"students who take gap years between high school and university often perform better, according to a study."We found...the gap year is actually keeping momentum because it crystallises students plans for what they want to study and where, and it helps to develop and maintain self - direction and independent thinking skills...co-author Andrew Martin from the University of Sydney.The paper appears in the current issue of the Journal of Higher Education"

Source: Gap year can give students edge:study

By Kylar Loussikian

The Australian Newspaper

Wednesday September 18th 2013

Page 25

Video: A collection of Japanese television commercials 2013

2013-09-20T06:56:00.002+09:00

Source: Japanese TV Commercials

[ 2013 weeks 01 & 02 ]

JPCMHD,

You Tube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiA2LaewpOc

Review of "Motorcycle Japan - A Riders Diary" by Mark Dulhunty

2013-09-11T11:01:00.000+09:00

Review of "Motorcycle Japan - A Riders Diary" by Mark Dulhunty

Tairyobata are colourful banners flown by Japanese fisherman

2013-09-08T09:05:00.002+09:00

Photo: Colourful tairyobata

"When a vessel pulls into port with a large catch, it raises a banner called a tairyobata. Tairyobata are characteristically showy in color, both from a superstitious and to be conspicious on a vessel. They are mainly hoisted during festivals these days"

Source: In search of the Ultimate seafood

Travel Notes 2

Nipponica, No 8, 2012, page 23

Eleven ways to explore Japanese literature

2013-09-05T04:00:00.000+09:00

Eleven ways to explore Japanese Literature

Bilinguals are almost universally faster and make fewer mistakes

2013-08-07T00:00:00.000+09:00

" Almost universally, bilinguals are faster and make fewer mistakes than monolinguals"

Source: The power of the bilingual brain

By Jeffrey Kluger

Science

Time Magazine

Vol 182, No 5, July 29th 2013 , page 29

Studies show that multilingual people are better at multitasking, they work faster and are better at reasoning

2013-08-06T00:00:00.000+09:00

" Multilingual people, studies show, are better at reasoning, at multitasking, at grasping and reconciling conflicting ideas. They work faster and expend less energy doing so, and as they age, they retain their cognitive faculties longer, delaying the onset of dementia and even full blown Alzheimers disease"

Source: The power of the bilingual brain

By Jeffrey Kluger

Science

Time Magazine

Vol 182, No 5, July 29th 2013 , page 26

Research shows that bilingual people have different brain's

2013-08-05T18:03:00.000+09:00

"Research is increasingly showing that the brains of people who know two or more languages are different from those who know just one - and those differences are all for the better"

Source: The power of the bilingual brain

By Jeffrey Kluger

Science

Time Magazine

Vol 182, No 5, July 29th 2013 , page 26

Japan Railway West will offer free wi-fi to tourists at 11 stations in Japan from July 1st 2013

2013-06-14T09:25:00.000+09:00

"West Japan Railway Company (JR West)... will launch free Wi-Fi service for tourists on July 1 (2013) at 11 stations on its shinkansen (bullet train) lines, including for the first time Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Ogura, Hakata, as well as stations where it is already available—Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Osaka, Tenoji, Kansai Airport and Sannomiya...The JR West free Wi-Fi will be available around ticket gates and lobbies at concourses. In order to use the tourist Wi-Fi, you have to get a guest code before arriving in Japan. Then you can access the Wi-Fi by simply selecting JR-WEST_FREE_Wi-Fi on your device."

Source: Free Wi-Fi for tourists to become available at 11 JR West stations

JUN. 14, 2013

Japan Today

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/free-wi-fi-for-tourists-to-become-available-at-11-jr-west-stations