Category Archives: Japan

Sensei’s Corner: A Wandering Tale

Lots of Stuff I haven’t done one of these in a while because it’s hard to get used to the “train of consciousness” type of writing. In fact, I won’t really do that. I’ll break this up into little sections … Continue reading

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So What Do Foreigners Find Expensive In Japan?

I have to highly recommend this post at Japan Today, not so much because of the story – which I find interesting in itself – but because there’s over 180 comments by people giving their own first-hand impressions. It’s fascinating, … Continue reading

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Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Anime Review

Better Than I Expected When I first started watching “Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai,” which I mentioned before in saying that “haganai” as a nickname had to do with reading “wa” as “ha” (though in this grammar role it is … Continue reading

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Fukushima Daiichi: Shocking Disaster Relief Micromanagement

My Most Cynical Suspicions Confirmed The Japan Times has published an article regarding a post-mortem on the Japanese government’s handling of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. I have every sympathy for the people who were scrambling to resolve the problems on … Continue reading

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Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku: Early Bird Review

“Bodacious Space Pirates”  I’m not sure whose idea it was to translate the title as “Bodacious Space Pirates,” and perhaps it’s from the Japanese studio, but that’s OK. “Mouretsu” usually stands for something more like marauding, or at least that’s what … Continue reading

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Tiger & Bunny: Anime Review & Opinions

An Impressive Show Long story short, Tiger & Bunny is an unlikely “bromance” anime viewed through the “Amerikomi” (American Comic Book) superhero genre. Superheroes capture crooks and save civilians live on HeroTV, all sponsored by major corporations. Yet a strong … Continue reading

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Only 5% of Tsunami Debris Cleared So Far

According to the Japan Times, only 5% of the debris in the Tohoku region from last year’s tsunami has actually been disposed of (generally meaning incineration). Apparently even debris outside the Fukushima area has a radiation stigma attached to it. … Continue reading

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Nagaimo: A Staple of Japanese Cuisine

Nagaimo The nagaimo (長芋、ながいも), or Dioscorea opposita, is also known as the Chinese yam or Korean yam. The first kanji is “long”; the second is best read as “yam”. Yams long predated potatoes in Japanese cuisine.

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Japan Emperor Has Successful Heart Bypass Surgery

This is too high profile to not post about, so I wanted to pass on that the Emperor of Japan had successful heart bypass surgery in response to a diagnosis of angina. Long story short, it’s a lot better for … Continue reading

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Sakura Bloom Forecasts? Hanami Schedules?

桜と花見 The blog Surviving In Japan has posted a very interesting and potentially useful forecast for cherry blossom (sakura, 桜、さくら) blooming in Japan for 2012, divided by region and location. Watching blooming blossoms is known as hanami (花見、はなみ), or simply “flower viewing” … Continue reading

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