Category Archives: Japan

AKIRA and Buddhist Philosophy

It hasn’t been easy finding time to write on a blog because of family medical issues. Fortunately mine have taken a turn for the better. Recently, in the middle of this process, I actually saw the groundbreaking anime film AKIRA … Continue reading

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Anime Review: Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko

English: “The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat”  Here’s a good example of another light novel adaptation. For the most part, this is a comedy series dominated by the interpersonal relationship between the main character, who is an ah, let us … Continue reading

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Anime Review: Devil Survivor 2 The Animation

  “Translating” a video game to anime is always risky business because the experience cannot but be different. In the first place, players with a given video game generally have a wide number of choices, or at least a few … Continue reading

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Japanese Emperor: Cremate Me To Not Burden Japan

Sorry for the lack of posts, life intervenes. Now, the subject: Japan’s Emperor and Empress  (together) requested cremation rather than elaborate state burials out of consideration for the financial state of Japan (exacerbated by the tsunami last year). It’s seriously … Continue reading

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“I’ve come to keep my promise!”

約束、守りに来ました! At the end of a recent anime (High School DxD), a forced wedding is being crashed by the above youth (with the fancy gauntlet). He couldn’t accept being defeated and seeing the lady he served carried off in a … Continue reading

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San Bun no Ni = 2/3rds

Japanese Expression of Fractions Although there are other ways of expressing certain kinds of fractions, like hanbun (半分、はんぶん) for 1/2 or 50%, 2/3 would be expressed as “san bun no ni” (三分の二, さんぶんのに). That is, “of three parts, two“. Actually, … Continue reading

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Remembering the Tsunami

Just a brief word. We have reached a year since the earthquake/ tsunami disaster that has afflicted Japan. The crisis is certainly not over for a good many people.  We in the West can mainly wish the best for the … Continue reading

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Sakura Zensen: The Cherry Blossom Front Lines

桜前線 (さくらぜんせん) “Sakura” (cherry blossom) is a word many people know well. Sakura viewing is “hanami” (花見、はなみ), or lit. flower viewing. Outside of a weather context, “zensen” (前線、ぜんせん) would mean “front” in the sense of WWII’s Eastern Front or Western Front … Continue reading

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Pokemon X Samurai Warriors = What The!?

You Don’t See This Every Day Actually, this is a crossover with Nobunaga’s Ambition, a venerable wargame series out of Japan, but that’s niche stuff. The kind of niche I’m into, mind you. The people are similar, though: it’ll be … Continue reading

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Mushiro: Stating Preferences

むしろ  “Mushiro” is one of those words that isn’t in everyone’s speaking style, but it’s really good to know what it means and how it’s used. The English output differs because different words fit different sentence situations. The word itself … Continue reading

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