The Nippon Student

Update

2011-10-31T14:30:00.001-04:00

~~Hola~~ konnichiha,

It's been a very long time since I've updated this blog. For those of you that have taken a interest in this blog, thank you. I know there are much better blogs out there about Japan or it's culture that are kept up to date regularly. That being said let me explain why have not updated in so long and what I plan to do with this blog in the future.

The reason this blog has so spars is because I will be graduating this year and I have very little time to update anything in my life. And the new blog I do have (school assignment) took all the time I was planning on dedicating to this blog. Furthermore I do not know the next time I will be able to blog again due to my schedule.

Originally I had planned to continue learning the Japanese language independent of all formal training. I had even considered purchasing Rosetta Stone to help in this process. But to be truthful, I i'm too busy to even to begin to look into this.

Now I'm not sure when the next blog will be up :(

Take care and hope to write more soon!

[C]: Anime in Review

2011-06-14T00:03:00.001-04:00

Today's review [C]:

[C]:The Money of Soul and Possibility Control, is an anime thats story-line is drawn from today's current economic (in particularly Japan) condition. The series features a futuristic and religious undertones to it. The religious tone can be seen in the actions of the characters greed (hence the use 666 = the mark of the beast), while the futuristic aspect comes from the use of technology in gaining access to the "Financial District" (an parallel universe that actions directly influences the real world). Both appear throughout the the first episode.

If I had to compare this series to another anime it would be Eden of the East.

The similarity is found in the plot lines of greed, technology, power and ideology of god complex.

The anime itself is well animated if not a little "dull" or "unfinished" in it's coloring (this is my personal opinion. I tend to like anime that is "glossy" and "high in color") The anime is also realistic in itself representation of the characters, setting (not counting the the alternate-universe and objects used throughout the plot.

Overall, I feel that this anime is a worth-while time consumer ( the series is on-going) with realistic themes that do get dark, if the first episode is any predictor of future events.

*note: sorry for the delay in postings and vocabulary, in the next few weeks I will have more time for postings and tweets.

Sayonara

Durarara!!: Anime in Review

2011-05-23T21:22:00.000-04:00

Durarara, is the story of a the several characters interconnected throughout the Ikebukuro portion of Tokyo Japan. The series features modern yet supernatural setting in the daily lives of this cast of characters. Out most of the Animes, Durarara stood out. The illustration is clean cut and the CGI technology used in certain scenes brings the series to life.

You can find Durarara on sites like Cruchyroll.com, animecrazy.com or animefreak.tv. That 's all for now. Sorry for the delay very busy with summer session of school.

Peace!

Yūshoku

2011-05-10T13:36:00.001-04:00

Hey Guys,

It's been a while I know. I just wanted to give an update as to why I have been so busy lately. 2) I have been studying and taking finals 2) I've been looking for summer work 3) I been prepping for summer class 4) I just overall been a busy girl.

Hoping that some people are still reading this I would like to say thank you for taking to the time to read this blog. I have not forgotten about my Word of the day (this will be changing to word of the week and weekend today!) , I just been busy. So to make up for the long absence, here is a student video production (one of my finals) of the cuisine of Japan and one chefs' experience in cooking traditional and non-traditional Japanese favors, textures and styles.

Presenting: Yushoku (Dinner)

This video is strictly for educational purposes only, any copyright materials used is used in a educational setting only( it may not be redistributed).
If you are in the Philadelphia area try looking Tokyo Japanese Restuarnt up. Hope you enjoyed this presentation!

Guilty: A Drama in Review

2011-04-26T20:46:00.018-04:00

Yoi Ban (Good Evening),

In this posting I will be reviewing 2010's drama Guilty: Akuma to Keiyakushita Onna (the women who made a pact with the devil). This Japanese drama centers around a woman named Nogami Meiko (played by Kanno Miho) (trivia: most Asians last names appear before their first names!), who has been falsely tried and found guilty of killing her nephew and brother-in-law. The series focus on Nogami's plans to exacted revenge against those who have done her wrong. You can check out the entire series (11 episodes total) at http://www.mydramalist.com//front/dramalist-ajax.php?dramaid=356

{spoiler Alert}

I found that this series was unique in that the main character was had already severed her time and seems to be living a peaceful/accepting lifestyle as a Pet Groomer ( I want this job, jk). There are so many characters that play into the various twist and turns throughout the series that by the time you get to the end you are never expecting the true person behind the plot to be the boss/friend of Nogami!

I hoped you have enjoyed this drama review ( there are sooooooo many dramas! If you have any suggestions post a comment and I'll let you know how I felt in the next Drama in Review posting.)

Until next time's Anime review, Yoi Yoru (Good Night)

Perfume

2011-04-19T22:08:00.001-04:00

Ohayō (Good Morning),

If you read the posting "Work Hard, Play Harder" you will be pleased that I have finally gotten around to doing a Music Review ( and eventually and Drama Review) for the Japanese girl group Perfume.

The music of Perfume is something that I not seen in the U.S. market before. If I were to compare them to any previously successful girl group (state side) it would be Destiny's Child.

Perfume's sound is a mix of traditional Japanese folk music, house and techno beats, futuristic bacground and catchy pop lyrics. Here is a sample of the groups sound and style:

"Voice" by Perfume

Along with having a distintive sound the girls style is unquirely Perfume. The concepts for their videos are nothing I have seen in not only the U.S. but other countries such as South Korea (who's music I enjoy as well). Four words I'll use to their group style is corky,cute,colorful and cynchronized ( I know it's spelled with a S . . . but for this purpose please ignore)!

Another reason to add Perfume to playlist would be that they are acomplished concert masters (yes, coin this pharse)! They've had sold out concerts in venues such as the Tokyo Dome ( which is not an easy feat.) Check out this clip:

Thank You Speech

And just in case your not convinced that their ~~the greatest girl group ever~~ the real deal in Japan here is are sample clip of their performance ~~(see the sweat drop?)~~:

Edge(Mix) Performance by Perfume

I hoped you enjoyed this latest additon of The Nippon Student, till next time bye!

Word of the Day

2011-04-17T18:28:00.001-04:00

Konnichi ha (or Kon'nichiwa),

If you haven't noticed The Nippon Student has an official Twitter page! There you can find new vocabulary in the "Word of the Day" post @nipponstudent . During the week, once a day new words will be submitted along with any updates, so if your not following why not join!

Indo-chan インドちゃん

2011-04-12T18:25:00.001-04:00

As you read my blog you are probably wondering "who is this person?" and "why is she so obsessed with Japanese?", well I can sum that up in a couple of paragraphs.

I am India. I live on the East Coast of the United States, where I attend a four year University. I plan to graduate within the next year. There is very little I can tell you about my life that would seem exciting or fun (I live in the library most of the time), but I'll try.

I have lived in the same area (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) for the majority of my life. I moved to the state capital Harrisburg during my sophomore year of high school and continued there until I went to community college. I stayed there for a year before moving to suburban Philadelphia.

In the time that I went to community college in Harrisburg, I learned so much about myself than I would have if I would've attended another college (specifically a smaller one). During that time I was rooming in the city's International House. Two of my roommates were from Georgia (the country) while the other was from South Korea. In that time I realized just how closed off to other cultures I had been. See before then I had believed that I was culturally accepting of everyone, I realized this wasn't true once I was living within the International House.

Since this time I have gain a better understanding and less prejudices.

With this new understanding, it allowed me to think in broader terms of what is globally and intercultural the same and different in the world. To me there seem to be little difference in how individuals deal and feel about life in general (yes, I know there are always expectations!).

As these new feelings I decided that my life would be filled with food and travel (a common dream)! So with this I decided to study a language in order to fulfill my dreams of adventure and ~~stuffing my face~~ culinary appreciation!

The main reason I picked Japanese as an language to study was because in a way I was rebelling. My rebellion was against the traditional languages offered in high school and University settings such as Spanish, French or German ... they just all seems boring and over statured with people who did not plan to use the skills in any future setting, that was something I wanted to avoid.

So in all this is who Indo- chan is. End of Story.

"Ganbaro Nippon" Tokyo Tower

2011-04-11T18:47:00.001-04:00

It has officially been one month since the devastating Earthquake hit Japn, causing a major Tsunmi to completely damage the city of Sendai in Northeastern Japan. According to Tokyo Hive, to help lift the spirits of fellow Japanese Tokyo Tower has revealed the "Ganbaro Nippon" sign. "Ganbaro Nippon" meaning "Let's Do Our Best, Japan" will be featured from April 11th - April 16th. To read more about Tokyo Tower follow this link: http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/04/tokyo-tower-has-a-new-illuminated-message-ganbaro-nippon/

If you would like to continue to support the efforts ongoing in Japn, please read my first post untitled "The Nippon Student". There you will find websites like the Red Cross were donations can be made.

Thanks for reading!

Cherry Blossoms

2011-04-06T17:45:00.000-04:00

According to Sign On San Diego "Tokyo's Cherry Blossoms Officially in Bloom". In Japanese tradition it symbolize multiple things however, one definition is the "nature of life". "The annual rite of spring in Japan goes back hundreds of years and involves sitting under "sakura" trees and taking in the fluffy pink flowers, which drop off about a week after they appear.” Sign on San Diego, reports.

And luckily for U.S. the Cherry blossoms are available throughout the states. Almost a hundred years ago, the U.S. was gifted 3,000 Cherry Trees from the Japanese Government showing good will. The trees now line the Tidal Basin located in Washington D.C. The annual festival begins in mid-March to beginning April which is known as the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Although the festival is based out of D.C. there are other U.S. cities throughout the country such as the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia; Cherry Blossom Festival of Southern California Little Tokyo District in Los Angeles, CA; and Cherry Blossom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Brooklyn, NY.

If you are interested in attending any of these events please use these links to gain additional information:

Washington D.C. - http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/
Philadelphia, PA - http://jasgp.org/cherryblossomfestival/
Macon, GA - http://www.cherryblossom.com/
Brooklyn - http://www.bbg.org/discover/cherries
Los Angeles - http://cherryblossomfestivalsocal.org/

and to read the entire article from Sign On San Diego go to this link- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/27/tokyos-cherry-blossoms-officially-in-bloom/

Work Hard, Play Harder

2011-03-31T20:47:00.000-04:00

Go asiatus or Greetings,

Have you been studying for hours? Need a mental break, but still in the Japanese frame of mind? Then check out these entertaining Entertainment sites:

Tokyo Hive

Tokyo Hive provides information on your favorite Japanese Celebrities, Musicians, Actors and Personalities. Find out today's Scandles and more at http://www.tokyohive.com/.

Crunchy Roll & Anime Crazy

Hey anime fans, need to catch up on your favorite show such as Bleach, One Piece or Naruto Shippuuden or simply discover new and classic ones such as Kimi ni Todoke, Death Note, Darker than Black, or Dragon Ball Z? Check out these two great sites http://www.animecrazy.net/ and http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime.

iHoneydew

A Music Buff? No problem, iHoneydew is a great place to find new Artist, album releases and the latest Celebrity news! Visit http://ihoneydew.com/ for more information.

Perfume- Techno Pop Group

Drama Crazy & Crunchy Roll

For all you ~~Evil-Mother-In-Law, soap oprea loving freaks~~ Drama fans, sites preivously mentioned have drama alternatives, featuring the latest show and many classics. Check them out at http://www.dramacrazy.net/ or http://www.dramacrazy.net/.

Stay tune for future Music and Drama reviews!

A Love of Chopsticks

2011-03-31T12:27:00.000-04:00

It all started with the love of Chopsticks. This fascination of Asian cultures and traditions did not start with my namesake, but started with going to the local Chinese restaurant with my mom on Saturday afternoons after dance class. I had no idea how an encounter with Chopsticks would lead me to continue to be amazed at nearly every facet of any Asian culture.

My next obsession came from watching Bollywood movies on the local community channels, where I fell in love with their dancing, singing and clothing styles. For a while there I was everything India (and would sometimes obnoxiously brag about how cool my namesake was). It was also around the time that I developed an interest in international events. My life suddenly became the United Nations of information. This new view of the world led me to explore not only the cuisine, fashion and film scene of India, but it helped me discover a new love of music and fandom.

My following obsession centered on the world of K-Pop (abbreviation for Korean Pop Music). In Recent years I have fallen in love with this music genre. All in all, its Western stylized music that makes it easy to transition from music heard in America to music spoken in another language but with the same base root or storyline: Love & Heartbreak.

Artist 2ne1"Can't Nobody"

Throughout all of this, it is safe to say I have a major crush on Asia, in particular Japan. Although I have had interests in other countries such as Korea and India, none of them have ever promted me to learn their language. Based on this alone the language and culture of Japan is sure to keep me occupied for years to come.

As I close, I encouge all of you to go out there and explore the different possibilities another culture may hold for you!

Study Materials

2011-03-22T22:36:00.000-04:00

Being an independent studier is hard enough on its own. Being an independent studier with limited resource material is harder. In this post you will find helpful study methods and materials that can better prep and guide you in your language studies.

It's important to know that whether you are an traditional or independent student these study aids can better improve your basic vocabulary and written composition.

Google Translator:

There is a million reasons to love Google, one of them includes its Translator site. Enter any word in the English portion of the translator and it appears as it would in Japanese (or any other language you are studying). The Romanized equivalent of the word is also present for those who have trouble deciphering the symbols. There is also an "Listen" button for those who have trouble pronouncing the words and need the word read aloud to them.

http://translate.google.com/#

Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary:

Purchasing this low cost dictionary will further add to your language needs. Although Google Translator is a very affective tool, having a dictionary will come in handy. Dictionaries provide the most correct use of words, spelling, grammar and phrases used in any given language. The dictionary can even provide information not yet available online.

Japanese For Dummies

Japanese For Dummies, is the ultimate traveler's and students survival guide. This Dummies' addition comes in a variety of formats from a full book, CD audio or an digital audio download. It also comes in a range of prices starting from $5- to $25.

The Itunes store has the digital version for around $6 .

ManythingsJapanese.org:

My final suggestion for study materials comes from student/guru Charles Kelly's site http://www.manythings.org/japanese/. The site gives helpful insight to those studying for the JLPT. With digital flash cards, videos practice quizzes and tests plus much more, this student friendly site can help you navigate and prep for one or all of the JLPT certification.

*My other suggestion, which is not fully mentioned above is making personalized note cards. Taking simple note cards and putting words, phrases, facts or anything else of importance onto them will help with memory and break down of the complex language.

To conclude this posting, learning another language whether as an traditional or independent student should cost you little to nothing in your quest for basic to complete fluency in your language of choice.

As always さようなら, sayonara or bye!

Interested in Donations for the Quake and Tsunami victims? Read the post below to find out how.

The Nippon Student

2011-03-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

こんにちは, Kon'nichiwa or Hello,

This is The Nippon Student blog or The Japan/Japanese Student blog. I came up with blog theme as a way to connect with other students that study the language and culture of Japan. This blog will follow my journey as I independently study the Japanese language and consider taking the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) years down the line.

Now on to more serious news. Hopefully you've heard by now about our beloved Nippon. I encourage all of you to donate in some way either through monetary means, volunteer work or any other way possible to help rebuild this country. Remember you do not have to be Japanese to care and love Japan!

Here are some Earthquake & Tsunami relief funds to contribute to:

American Red Cross
Global Giving
Save the Children
Shelter Box
International Medical Corps

all can be accessed through this link:

https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/MakeDonation.aspx?ORGID2=060726487&source=YAHOO&cmpgn=NEWS

Take Care and Care!