Possibly my favorite part of Japan by far would have to be Yoyogi (代々木：よよぎ). This is probably due to the fact that when I spent 2 months in Japan, it was at a place in Yoyogi, Tokyo. There is just so much to like about Yoyogi for someone like myself. Firstly, it is conveniently located right inbetween Shinjuku (新宿：しんじゅく) and Harajuku (原宿：はらじゅく), which are amongst some of the best urban areas in Japan. Also, it is significantly more quiet than lots of places in Tokyo, but not too quiet. Almost like a perfect balance. Read the rest of this entry »
I was forwarded an extremely useful message from my Japanese professor the other day. Those who are currently taking or finishing up undergraduate degrees concerned with East Asia, or Information technology, you might want to have a look at this.
“In 2008, the University of Tokyo (UT) launches a new International Master’s/Doctoral Degree Program: Information, Technology, and Society in Asia (ITASIA) at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies (GSII). This program offers intensive graduate level education designed to foster analytical strength and insight into Asian societies and international relations, at a time when information and communication technology are having an increasingly profound impact on the region.
The program is tailored for both international and Japanese students who are motivated to pursue active professional careers on the regional and global stages. All instruction will be conducted in English, so proficiency in Japanese is not a prerequisite.” — ITASIA Website
Of course this doesn’t apply to me quite yet for several reasons, but I am going to keep it in mind depending on how my outlook on Japan job hunting goes (Job hunting in Japanese is 就職：しゅうしょく：Shuushoku). I’m just putting this out here in hopes that it might reach somebody that is interested. If you’re uber smart and don’t speak Japanese this is a great chance for you to get over to Japan for an extended period of time. Not to mention, you’d be studying at the top university in Japan to boot (the University of Tokyo, also more commonly referred to in Japan as 東大：とうだい：Todai, an abbreviated form of Tokyo Daigaku meaning Tokyo University).
Today’s uploaded photos are from my visit to Osaka, in the Kansai region of Japan. Osaka is a popular travel spot for several reasons, and much like anywhere else in Japan, Osaka has a very interesting historical background. There are lots of Buddhist temples, as well 大阪城（おおさかじょう：Osaka Jou) Osaka Castle, which is very well preserved and absolutely beautiful to look at. I Didn’t get to spend a lot of time in Osaka, but then again I’m nowhere near as crazy about the place as some people I know. Check out my pictures from Osaka (link here, as well as in the top banner under pictures).
Also, I’d like to mention that I am looking for others with interest in Japan that have blogs or sites to trade links with. Networking our sites not only increases the amount of traffic we can potentially receive, but also allows us to expand our knowledge and understand the different perspectives at which we all deal with learning the Japanese language and Japanese culture.
I’ve already established 3 link trades so far. These are great sites and I’d appreciate it if you have interest to go check them out:
Sanokame.com: A very informative fellow from Sweden who has some great stuff to say about Japanese entertainment, as well as design and technology in general.
NeilDuckett.com: A fellow ‘gaijin’ living in Tokyo, Japan with a rather extensive blog packed full of pictures, Japan employment information, and links to many other great Japanese weblogs.
DannyChoo.com: A huge online community for those interested in Japanese culture, anime, idols, and otaku related information.
Of course, all these links are in the side bar, and I’m hoping to see YOURS there soon as well.
Since my video on The Secrets to Learning Japanese, I’ve been asked by several people where I get my Japanese television fix from, as they’ve had difficulty tracking Japanese programming down due to living in North America. I frequently use D-Addicts for all my Japanese program downloads. Another method would be to look into getting your television provider’s “Japanese Channel”. I know that Rogers has this channel, and it has a lot of educational Japanese programming from NHK (日本放送協会 Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai : Japan Broadcasting Corporation), as well as Japanese dramas, music television, and even Japanese news.
On D-Addicts, you can find a huge variety of Japanese dramas and even Japanese television programs. I will give you a quick tutorial based on whatever it is you might be looking for, so that you can find it all. Read the rest of this entry »
Those who are subscribed to my youtube channel will have noticed that I put out a Japanese Karei Raisu (Curry Rice) tutorial video. I am not overly pleased with the turn out of the video, but decided to put it up anyways. If you are interested in making some curry rice, I will provide the ingredients and instructions here as well.
Just for some background information: Japanese Curry is a popular dish in Japan and is many times consumed in the form of curry rice (half the plate being curry, the other half being rice). It is slightly thicker than other forms of curry (such as Indian curry), as well as sweeter/milder, and is also making me very hungry just talking about it right now. Read the rest of this entry »
Hey! Still in the midst of getting more photos from my last trip to Japan up. Just some general information about that: I went during May and June of 2007 with my girlfriend. I had saved up to go to Japan prior to that for about 2 years. If you are watching my youtube Japan blog videos, then you are probably wondering how we ended up in such an awesome place, and let me tell you it was no easy task, and even now I can’t guarantee that it could happen again that we could get so fortunate. Although, any questions about it I will be more than happy to try and answer.
During the 2 months there, 6 weeks were spent exploring Tokyo and trying to get accustomed to living a Tokyo lifestyle (which wasn’t all that hard to tell you the truth), and 1 week was spent using our JAPAN RAIL PASS (the most beautiful thing you will ever need when you go to Japan, I’ll post about it later and how amazing it is), and we toured around the main island of Honshu, hitting up many spots and spending over 6 - 8 hours on trains DAILY for that week. Exhausting!
That’s all for now! Check out the Harajuku and Hiroshima galleries I just got up. All my pictures from Japan (that are currently up) can be found by clicking the link in the top banner named ‘pictures.’
What are the secrets to learning Japanese quickly and easily? There are none! Hard work and perseverance are the only way you are going to learn the language. Check out my video above for my thoughts on that.
I haven’t had any time to work on the site today because of several reasons. One is that I made a new video blog as a response for some fellow Japan youtubers, which you should definitely check! But also because I had to run to school to pick up my History of Hong Kong final paper which I ended up getting a B+ on, and I so called that mark because I knew he wasn’t going to give me an A, even though I slaved over that thing until it was perfect! and also because I made some Curry Rice for dinner for the family, which I will also blog about soon enough.
Check the vlog for now… It’s late so I’m going to get some rest.
No, not the old English pastime of hitting balls through hoops. The Japanese snack (actually derived from the french food of the same name croquette), Korokke (コロッケ) is quite the delicious snack. Korokke usually consists of mashed potatoes, ground beef or seafood and is covered in flour, coated with egg and panko (Japanese bread crumbs), then deep fried. It bears similarity to hash browns, if you were to somehow relate it to the North American diet.
The best part is you don’t have to go all the way to Japan to have a taste of Korokke, because if you’re up to it I’m going to teach you how to make them right now! Yes, I know… this blog is awesome, tell all your friends. Okay first off I’ll tell you what you need, and you can find everything at your local Chinese or Korean (or Japanese if you’re that lucky) grocery store. Read the rest of this entry »
The picture to your left is a view of what it is like in Asakusa during possibly the busiest 3 days of the year. The Asakusa Sanja Matsuri (三社祭 さんじゃまつり Three Shrine Festival), held on the 3rd week of every May, attracts around 2 million locals and tourists. It is considered one of the 3 great Shinto festivals in Tokyo (Shintoism being the primary “religion” in Japan… yeah I’ll post about that later too). If you are in Tokyo during the month of May, I definitely recommend you check this crazy event out!
Asakusa on any other day is about as quiet as anywhere else in Tokyo if not quieter, but over these 3 days it is absolutely packed beyond all comprehension. I was getting mowed down by Obaasan’s (おばあさん Old ladies) and they didn’t seem to care that I could have stepped on them if I wanted to. But there is literally NO room to move around, especially on the 3rd and final day as room has to be made for 神輿（みこし Mikoshi), the Portable Shinto shrines that each district proudly haul through the streets, while everyone stands there and gets their toes crushed.
An example of a Mikoshi is shown in the picture to your right. However pretty you might find it, I’d refrain from going near one and trying to snag a touch. Each Mikoshi is approximated to weigh in at around one ton, and costs around 40 million yen (approx. $400,000 USD). Not to mention it is lugged around by scary looking dudes like the one in this picture.
Don’t take my word for it, but I’ve heard that the majority of these festivities are run by Yakuza (ヤクザ Japanese organized gangs). So try to be careful about your valuables while visiting, and don’t step on the wrong person’s foot, because it could cost you.
Check out the Asakusa gallery for the rest of the Sanja Matsuri Festival pictures I managed to take.
Also drop a line in the comments and tell me what you think of all this madness!
Akihabara (秋葉原) is the dream location for every male who has never had a girlfriend & every girl who has never had a boyfriend. I don’t think I’ve been anywhere in Tokyo that has so blatantly stuffed every corner with erotic merchandise as Akihabara. Of course, it could be easy for one to spend their entire day indulging in the dozens of stores which supply stack-loads of ero manga, hentai merchandise, Japanese idol DVDs, and more. But why do that when you can simply save your money and stare at hundreds of french maids that pass pay nearly every second.
If you are into electronics, figures, anime, manga, and pretty much anything otaku related. You will love it here.
Akihabara is totally mind numbing with the massive amounts of media and technology, which is jam-packed into every corner, bill board, and alley way possible. I’ve never found cheaper computer parts, and in such abundance, anywhere. I will definitely get into more aspects about Akiba when I have a chance, such as the maid cafes, game stores, arcades, and so on. I haven’t fully explored the area yet, but what I have explored I will definitely post about in the future. I have a feeling maid cafes might be under consideration for a post in the near future, as I’m sure many people are interested in what those are all about, and how they work.
In the mean time check out the Akihabara picture gallery located at the top left under “pictures,” and let me know if there is anything else about Akiba you’d like to know. Thanks.
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