| 11:24am | Pop Stars and Jidai-geki | | | | The other day I turned on my TV and was greeted with an unexpected sight: popular SMAP singer and "talent" Tsuyoshi Kusanagi -- yes, the guy who got arrested for public nudity in a Tokyo park at 3 am a few months ago -- dressed up in full samurai armor as he promoted his new film. Jidai-geki, or samurai... |
| 11:23am | Hamburg Steak, the Other Red Meat | | | | Before I came to Japan I had many preconceptions about the place. For example, I expected everything to be sleek and modern, yet in reality the country is both technologically advanced and very old-fashioned, with gleaming glass buildings standing next to delapidated old homes made of corrugated tin,... |
| 11:19am | Cool Products Friday, September 4, 2009 | | | | Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see... | | |
| 12:31pm | Moero Downhill Night Golden Master! | | | | If you're a fan of PC dating-sim games from Japan, we've got a treat for you: the awesome Moero Downhill Night has been declared "Golden Master" and is on its way to the factory to be duplicated. An innovative game that blends Initial D-style "drift" racing, fast cars and super-cute girls, you play Daichi,... |
| 12:28pm | Japanese Coverage of the Election | | | | The fallout from the Japanese election continues, with many hours of TV coverage dedidated to discussing the various issues related to the change of ruling party. As always, I'm impressed with how open Japan's media is about discussing topics in public forums, without a lot of emotional self-serving... |
| 12:28pm | All About Japanese Toilets | | | | For whaever reason, Japanese toilets seem to hold a special fascination for us gajin. Whether it's the convenience of toilet seats that wash and dry your butt for you while emitting negatively charged ions and playing music via a dedicated SD card slot, or the cultural challenge of using a traditional... |
| 12:27pm | Cute Characters in Japan: Commodore Perry?? | | | | Japan certainly is a country that's in touch with its "inner cute," and it's amazing how easily boring products can be turned into adorable objets d'art, like these everyday household items we sell on J-List. For reasons that are unfathomable to me, it's common for cities or organizations to create... |
| 12:24pm | Cool Products Wednesday, September 2, 2009 | | | | Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see... | | |
| 3:22pm | Pictures from Aomori and Hokkaido, if you want them | | | | Yes, I am finally getting around to posting my pictures from my trip to frozen (well, slightly cool) northern Japan. Enjoy, if you like. All pictures should be clickable so you can get the large versions. Well, it was time for our trip to northern Japan, a trip I've always wanted to take with my son.... |
| 10:50am | Japan Election: My View | | | | The Japanese election is over, and as expected, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) won a significant victory over the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that ruled the country almost continuously since 1955. Japanese voters appear to have lost patience with the LDP and Prime Minister Aso, who managed to... |
| 10:49am | Our Hokkaido Adventure, Continued | | | | My son and I are safely back home after our great adventure in northern Japan. On Saturday we did more sightseeing, of course visiting Mt. Hakodate to take in the famous night view and hitting the fish market the next morning. Then it was time to head for home, so we crossed back to Aomori using the... |
| 10:49am | Cool Products Monday, August 31, 2009 | | | | Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see... | | |
| 12:57pm | How the Confederate States of America Helped Japan | | | | Quick: name one way that the Confederate States of America contributed to the creation of modern Japan? Well, I'll tell you. In 1864 the Confederate government commissioned the C.S.S. Stonewall, a state-of-the-art ironclad built in France to serve as a commercial raider against Union ships. After the... |
| 12:51pm | Aomori and Hokkaido Update | | | | My son and I are enjoying our trip to northern Japan. We had fun exploring Aomori, visiting the windswept beauty of the Tsugaru Peninsula on the western side of the prefecture, birthplace of enka singer Yoshi Ikuzo, who has belted out many songs about drinking sake while lamenting lost love, and one... |
| 12:44pm | Cool Products Friday, August 28, 2009 | | | | Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see... | | |
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