are there used panty vending machines everywhere or notNo, they were made illegal several years ago. Supposedly they were illegal from 1993 onward, but when I lived in Kyoto in 1994 there was such a vending machine at the end of my block in the "bad area" of Shimo-Gyou-ku
mail me entertaining melon flavored treats you bastardThey would not be any good by the time they arrived. Japan is small enough that transporting fresh food to local convenience stores is not a logistial nightmare. The bread on the shelves is usually from the previous day, and will be gone by the second day. Fresh melon treats here -- so good. Actually, a convenience store chain called DAILY YAMAZAKI has a mini-bakery built into it, so the melon-pan is shipped as dough and baked fresh hourly. Yummy.
Are escorts legal in Japan?I don't know. I don't think so, but in major cities there used to be four-color printed post-its in all the pay phones, showing (falsely, I assume) the girl you'd get if you called and ordered from them. There are several kinds of ostensibly legal sex trade in Japan, but I don't know anything about them first-hand. There's "soap land," where men pay to have a woman get naked and lather herself up, and then wash the customer's naked body with her own. I guess that commonly ends in sex, depending on what has been paid. I've heard of "de-mae herusu" (Take-Out Health) which involves a woman showing up at the customer's selected location to perform fellatio.
What's up with the pixels? It's not like the whole world doesn't already know how pervy most Japs are.Thank America for that one! I understand that censorship was mandated by the post-war Constitution imposed on Japan by the Allies, largely drafted by the USA. Japan's previous adult material, shunga, had tremendous detail in the genitalia. It probably terrified MacArthur, so they included this provision. (I made that last part up.)
Obviously it's a stereotype with some basis in truth, but just HOW crazy for us gaijin men are the local ladies? Like, would they be interested in a fat balding white dude?
Is it true black guys have no chance with the women?What? No! For several years now, black guys have been the hottest accessory around for Japanese women.
Chrono, are you in Tokyo?
Edit: n/m, just saw your post. Osaka.
Sounds like PD just needs to bring himself and a Hermes/LV handbag and he's gold eh?Is it true black guys have no chance with the women?What? No! For several years now, black guys have been the hottest accessory around for Japanese women.
PD, let's open up an accounting business over thereI have an accounting degree too!
Is it true black guys have no chance with the women?What? No! For several years now, black guys have been the hottest accessory around for Japanese women.
I live out in the sticks, unlike most of the jetsetters of jBore. It's actually not much different here than it was in the small town in Canada I grew up in. Less racist, I guess.
Is it true black guys have no chance with the women?What? No! For several years now, black guys have been the hottest accessory around for Japanese women.
I went to a club, that Blackace was working at as a bouncer for, in 2005. It was nothing but black dudes and Japanese chicks trying to get with them. Even you will get laid, PD!
Chrono, are you in Tokyo?
Edit: n/m, just saw your post. Osaka.
Yeah, I'm a Kansai dude. I've been to Tokyo a number of times, and worked part of each week out of Yokohama for about three years, but I'm not a fan of Kanto.
Obviously it's a stereotype with some basis in truth, but just HOW crazy for us gaijin men are the local ladies? Like, would they be interested in a fat balding white dude?
What are the most popular sports in Japan, not just in terms of professional sports but also local schools? Like is there an eqialivent of say..the NFL here. I've heard that baseball is very popular there
Obviously it's a stereotype with some basis in truth, but just HOW crazy for us gaijin men are the local ladies? Like, would they be interested in a fat balding white dude?
nothing you could ever say from now on will ever affect me in any way :lol
What are the most popular sports in Japan, not just in terms of professional sports but also local schools? Like is there an eqialivent of say..the NFL here. I've heard that baseball is very popular there
Ozawa’s family and friends are against her chosen profession in spite of her apparent pride in her work. When she brought several of her videos home to show her parents, they refused to watch them and told her to get out.
Have you guys ever been to Ageha and Womb (clubs)? Are they as amazing as everyone says?
Are Japanese BBWs easy to pick up for a slightly awkward white guy with minimal Japanese knowledge?
Have you guys ever been to Ageha and Womb (clubs)? Are they as amazing as everyone says?
Are Japanese BBWs easy to pick up for a slightly awkward white guy with minimal Japanese knowledge?
Your sarcasm meter must be busted, guess you used that brain cell to figure out how to safely sodomize yourself with a gun barrel
British: almost never on regular cable. American: the oddest smattering of shows get translated and aired at ungodly hours, usually a few seasons behind at best. Since I've been here, I've seen CSI, Full House, Ghost Whisperer, House, Glee, Burn Notice, Chuck, Gossip Girl, and a few others.
Now, if you have better than basic cable, the whole world changes. But I don't care enough about TV to bother.
Has either of you ever seen the crane technique used in a public scuffle?spoiler (click to show/hide)you don't have to answer that[close]
:nsfw :nsfw :nsfw
http://wtfmanga.tumblr.com/post/45615764669/twcflorkin-renegade-ham-qweety-this-is-a
holy fucking shit
:nsfw :nsfw :nsfwwhere to buy?
http://wtfmanga.tumblr.com/post/45615764669/twcflorkin-renegade-ham-qweety-this-is-a
holy fucking shit
:nsfw :nsfw :nsfw
http://wtfmanga.tumblr.com/post/45615764669/twcflorkin-renegade-ham-qweety-this-is-a
holy fucking shit
Vocaloid cunt pastry... :wtf :japancry
If you had just seen it on the shelf in the store, would you have thought anything about it? I've seen tons of pastries with that shape before.it's the combo of anime girl + vaguely lady part shape + dirty western assumptions about japan.
sounds like a band name + Album title....Hah, VCP is totally Sphinctersoft's house band like how Cold Storage did tracks for Wipeout. 8)
"New on Reprise... it's Vocaliod Cunt Pastry's wtf Japancry"
Then there was the time Kamen Rider fought Starfishitler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxWONd3ZOIc
Does this happen in the USA and, if so, do people lose their bags when they try it?
In the world of Mr Seattle, there is no discord, all is beauty, love, sharing and hugs
BBCI'm an idiot. :dwill
Does this happen in the USA and, if so, do people lose their bags when they try it?German tourists are known for doing this at hotel pools. Get up early, put your towel on a deck chair, go back to sleep.
Alright, wrapping this trip up, flying home tomorrow morning. Been a great one, met up with good peoples, had great food and did great shopping! Next time I promise I'll come to Kansai!
:lolIn the world of Mr Seattle, there is no discord, all is beauty, love, sharing and hugs
...And "to-go" coffees.
Yeah, those are fantastic! The cherry blossom and Sky Tree shot is for-sale worthy.
Did you drink snake liquor at the sake booth?
Yeah, those are fantastic! The cherry blossom and Sky Tree shot is for-sale worthy.
Did you drink snake liquor at the sake booth?
:bow Those Pics :bow2
Especially the shot in the canal and thefood standsake booth.
Got my Softbank Rental invoice, they certainly have "interesting" fees for data for their own rental SIM cards :lol
(http://www.capitaltrachea.se/misc/softbank.jpg)
You max out at 1500 yen per day though, but that literally seems to be reached with like, one email
What's the general feeling in Japan about NK? I've heard many people in SK say no one seems concerned because of how used they are to this type of rhetoric, but is it different in Japan now that NK is directly threatening them too? Allegedly they plan on shooting a missile over Japanese land today or on the 15th, and Japan is poised to shoot it down. I doubt Lil Kim will do shit but Who knows with this guy.
Stay safe bros. Especially Cormac, who I can definitely beat in arm wrestling when I visit.
Where I lived, I would always hear that people were fearful of NK kidnappings. They claimed it happened to a few people in that area (Ishikawa).For a time it was believed to be just an urban myth, but it is apparently well-documented.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB5AGKFuRtY
:dizzy
Osaka food is good everywhere.
In which part of Osaka will you stay?
BANANA MANGO HIGH SCHOOLI clicked through and saw that this was posted April 2, 2010 so I am allowed to guess late AFD joke even thought deep down I know this is 100% serious. :japancry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=untRco8FmRs
Lol I knew my teacher was full of shit.If you have a chain, it has been successfully pulled.
yeah, it's not a bad area at all. Not too far from my place either ! Unf unf unf
So, apparently, in Japan the female cleaning staff can come into the male locker room, but at a hot spring it is a matter of course, but at a gym they can only do it by permission and when men are clothed.
Anyone familiar with the Sangenjaya area in Tokyo? It's close to Shibuya, Setagaya and Shimokitazawa, and there are some great looking rental houses/apartments that we're eyeing for our trip next year. Looks like a fun, quirky neighborhood.
My wife used to live there. It's a really classy neighbourhood. Lots of cool stuff around there too.
Shimokitazawa is reallllly great - then you are really on my doorstep!
There's an even chance I'll still be in Japan, I feel like. Are you guys coming to Osaka/Kansai at all, or ya gonna make me come to Tokyo and get my dumpster action there?
What bothers me is how much they're shoved down our throats at every turn. AKB48 seem to have a presence not only in about half the ads on TV, but also most of the variety shows. If I turn on the TV, they're on.
I don't have one. Maybe I should... I watch a lot of bad Japanese TV.
I buy stuff on iTunes, which is the only shop that doesn't IP block based on physical address. I've got a USA account and a USA bank attached, and Apple seems to think that's enough, unlike Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Last.fm, Pandora, Spotify, and about half the web portals for major networks.
But I'll look into a slingbox.
What bothers me is how much they're shoved down our throats at every turn. AKB48 seem to have a presence not only in about half the ads on TV, but also most of the variety shows. If I turn on the TV, they're on.
I really hope you've got a Sling Box hooked up in the states. I can't imagine having to watch Japanese TV.
I was watching a documentary on CBC on the aftermath of the earthquake both in Japan and North America (debris washing up on the West Coast). It seems like the people in government housing in Japan are way more screwed than Katrina victims here in the states. Damn.
And now for some white whine first world problem bullshit, Delta is eliminating their Seattle-Osaka KIX route in November, so they called my wife and let her know we'll know be on the ANA Dreamliner from Seattle to Narita and then on to Otami in Osaka this coming April. Instead of getting in at 1pm, we'll now get in at 8pm. And we don't get miles now cause ANA isn't a Delta partner. Fuck.
At the kōban, the police officer’s response went as follows: “Wow, that’s strange. Were they Japanese? Well, I can’t really do anything because I’m here by myself and they’re probably not there anymore. You’re a young girl, and maybe you shouldn’t be out by yourself alone at night.”
No details about the incident were recorded. Not only had every bystander ignored my pleas for help, but the police had also given me a terribly disappointing response — basically, “Shō ga nai, ne?” (“What can you do, eh?”).
This was not the first time that something like this had happened to me in Japan. The last time was in Osaka one morning, around 10 a.m., when a stranger picked me up and tried to carry me into a love hotel. Then, I kept kicking and punching until he dropped me. I tried to run away, but he was much taller than me and kept catching up.
What happened to Cormac and Oscar?
Glad to hear it!
I'm looking forward to having a stupid amount of beer with you.
I will also drag you to the GUNDAM SHOP in Nipponbashi.
I'll also try to locate a rape dumpster, or as they're called in Japan "rabu gomibako."
Ugh J-Bore, why do japanese webshops suck so bad? I registered a Tenso account and wanted to ship some stuff over here, but the shops I want to order from only accept bank transfer or cash-on-delivery for payment and not credit cards, not even Paypal ???Because they don't care?
Wonder if this is because of some super exorbitant service fee for credit cards or something, so small stores can't use it unless they are Rakuten affiliated or whatever. DAMN. Really wanted to order two DVD:s
Police rescue kidnapped girl in Hokkaido (http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140203_09.html)
A 9-year-old girl who had been missing in Sapporo City, Hokkaido was rescued by police on Sunday. She was found in the apartment of a 26-year-old man about 350 meters from her home.
Police arrested Hajime Matsui on suspicion of detaining the girl, but he is denying the charges.
Rina Hataya went missing last Monday after telling her family that she was going to a neighborhood stationery shop to purchase a notebook.
Police found her late Sunday night in the living room of the apartment of the unemployed man. They said she was crying when she was rescued, but looked relieved.
Police say Matsui, who didn't know the girl, was waiting for her in the parking lot of her home and asked her to follow him.
Police say security cameras installed near his apartment captured a suspicious man walking in front of the girl. Police also received accounts from witnesses about a suspicious man. The information helped them identify Matsui's whereabouts.
Police visited Matsui's home and asked him whether a girl was inside his apartment. Matsui said no girl was there, but they entered his apartment and found her.
Sweet!
Craft Beer Base is apparently quite good, and not unreasonably priced. Apparently there is another craft beer (and wine) bar in Sakai, near where I worked for over a decade. If I'd only known...
The places I want to drag you are here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/p/dig-beer-bar-osaka/37167/
http://www.ratebeer.com/p/craft-beer-works-kamikaze-osaka/27620/
PM me with any deets about stuff you want to do in Osaka. There's a Gundam-themed store in Nipponbashi (Osaka's version of Akihabara), and I also know a great tempura place, as well as a fantastic fugu specialist.
Less than two weeks now! God I need a vacation.
Less than two weeks now! God I need a vacation.
It's gonna be great!
I've hired additional neckbeard hikikomori to hang out dressed as loli on Ota-Road.
I will eat that. I'm all about weird foodstuffs in the Honz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML2yFA8deWk
went to a water park thing for 3 days - this was playing constantly in the swimming area. Burnt into my brain.
https://www.airbnb.com/s/Tokyo--Japan?source=bb
The prices don't seem to be in that range, but it's worth tossing out there; you can search the surrounding Tokyo 'burbs and see what crops up.
The originator of the teppanyaki-style steakhouse is the Japanese restaurant chain Misono, which introduced the concept of cooking Western-influenced food on a teppan in Japan in 1945.[2] They soon found the cuisine was less popular with the Japanese than it was with foreigners, who enjoyed both watching the skilled maneuvers of the chefs preparing the food as well as the cuisine itself, which is somewhat more familiar than more traditional Japanese dishes. As the restaurants became popular as tourist spots with non-Japanese, the chain increased the performance aspect of the chef's preparation, such as stacking onion slices to produce a flaming onion volcano.
MOS left Hawaii years ago.
They still got a few Book Offs, though.
There used to be a Book Off in Vancouver, BC but it closed last year due to skyrocketing rent. I always loved rummaging around in there on our yearly trips up North. I think a lot of their stock was shipped over from Japan.
If you're not sure how serious the offer was, do you know them that well as a friend?
OTOH, if you take the offer seriously, and end up overstaying your welcome, you probably haven't lost a particularly good friend.
You may want to see about hostels and any shared households; those are commonly found through a google search, but I've not stayed in one. Oh, one more possibility are "foreigner dormitory" businesses. I don't know if they're around any more, but they're a monthly rent, no downpayment option. The one I stayed in was pretty youth-focused; it's meant to be a living situation though, so no bedding or furniture is supplied.
Are you going over on a student visa? The Japanese student visa used to allow for up to 20 hours of work a week, IIRC. It may have changed from 20 years ago...?You know what, I apologize. I should have said I'm planning on not going with a visa. Doing the whole "up to 90 days" visitation thing which a lot of schools have curriculum built around that. Any longer then I'd have to apply for a student visa like you said.
I think we might be heading over next year, for a visit, with my parents in tow this time. Is there anything worth seeing in Tokyo/Osaka/Wherever that's popped up in the last couple of years?
I think I would go crazy if I were stuck on a tour group anywhere, let alone Japan. Unless you're afraid of being in a foreign country that speaks a different language, you can get a better experience on your own for a lot less money.
I think I would go crazy if I were stuck on a tour group anywhere, let alone Japan. Unless you're afraid of being in a foreign country that speaks a different language, you can get a better experience on your own for a lot less money.
I am afraid I guess! Part of me did think we'd save loads of money if we didn't do a tour, but on the other hand - I don't really know anyone over there and I don't know the place (wouldn't be confident with any of my bookings), I'm not likely to pick up any of the language all that well between now and then, and having people show me so much of the island was appealing to me. Internal travel and accommodation is all wrapped up in it. It's a couple/few days in each place, and seems to allow plenty of freedom to explore. I was surprised at how 'not bad' the flights are, considering how far it is, so if I like it, maybe I'll go back under my own steam. A friend of mine is doing a round the world trip at the moment, and I'm thinking that might be on my radar one day. As I say, we're booking the flights so we have more time in Tokyo.
I think we might be heading over next year, for a visit, with my parents in tow this time. Is there anything worth seeing in Tokyo/Osaka/Wherever that's popped up in the last couple of years?
Me!
Honestly, though, I am not aware of what's new. The ji-biiru movement in Osaka is pretty exciting right now, but you have access to a wider and cheaper range of craft beer in the USA. There is greater access to foreign items through import shops, it's easier to find good coffee, and Amazon is growing by leaps and bounds. This is what's exciting to me, and you can see that it's nearly entirely about access to homesick-prevention items.
Nipponbashi in Osaka is a little more like Akihabara than it was, with more cafés and specialty shops, less electronic shops, more foreigners.
I think I would go crazy if I were stuck on a tour group anywhere, let alone Japan. Unless you're afraid of being in a foreign country that speaks a different language, you can get a better experience on your own for a lot less money.
I am afraid I guess! Part of me did think we'd save loads of money if we didn't do a tour, but on the other hand - I don't really know anyone over there and I don't know the place (wouldn't be confident with any of my bookings), I'm not likely to pick up any of the language all that well between now and then, and having people show me so much of the island was appealing to me. Internal travel and accommodation is all wrapped up in it. It's a couple/few days in each place, and seems to allow plenty of freedom to explore. I was surprised at how 'not bad' the flights are, considering how far it is, so if I like it, maybe I'll go back under my own steam. A friend of mine is doing a round the world trip at the moment, and I'm thinking that might be on my radar one day. As I say, we're booking the flights so we have more time in Tokyo.
La Jolla in Tokyo had some pretty decent food, although I was put off by one of the cooks staring at me nonstop throughout the meal.:lol I know that feel, bro.
Was it Junkadelic, slime?Maaaaaaaaan, maybe? It's been a while but I do remember it being next to train tracks and a few minutes from where Ricciardi hosts Otaru.
In Osaka, I once had a taco platter which came with room temperature ground beef, and whipped cream instead of sour cream. :'(
Do they also want "key money"?That is one of those unequivocally shit conventions, holy crap. Thank you for letting me pay you rent, what a privilege.
Japan is putting its strict firearms-control laws up against the latest in digital manufacturing with the arrest of a man who allegedly made 3D-printed guns.
Yoshitomo Imura, 27, was collared Thursday on a charge of illegal weapons possession in Japan’s first such case involving 3D-printed firearms, according to media reports.
A raid last month on his home in Kawasaki outside Tokyo turned up five printed guns, two of which can fire real bullets. However, no bullets were recovered.
Imura, an employee of Shonan Institute of Technology in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, had apparently posted footage of the guns as well as production blueprints online, and mentioned production on Twitter.
Japanese news media posted clips from a grainy YouTube video that apparently shows Imura firing one of the guns in a wooded area.
The guns could apparently fire through more than 10 plywood boards stacked together.
Kyodo News quoted investigators as saying that Imura didn’t think the guns were illegal, and that he is believed to have downloaded the blueprints from overseas websites.
A spokesman for the Kanagawa Prefectural Police was not immediately available for comment on the case.
Japan has very strict controls on firearms compared to other countries. Only 15 people were murdered with handguns in 2012, according to data from the National Police Agency.
Imura’s arrest comes a year after Cody Wilson demonstrated what’s regarded as the world’s first working 3D-printed gun in the U.S.
Wilson later said that design files for the gun were downloaded more than 100,000 times before the U.S. State Department told him to take them down.
It’s unclear where Imura obtained the design files he used, but his guns, including one that looks like a revolver, appear to be different from Wilson’s weapon, dubbed The Liberator.
"But Foreigners invented guns, so I apologize to Miyamoto-Sama for this transgression before every sacred viewing of Moe Moe High School."\
Yeah the parent dojo is in Osaka, and as I remember that's an 8 hour bus ride I never want to take again.
I could take the train going down, but isn't that stupid expensive?
Yeah. It's less of a big deal now that there are Japanese sites which are posting the news as well; now all you need is someone bilingual, not on-site. And Japan is no longer a big deal in video games. :-\
So, the big news this week is that CHAGEandASKA's singer, "Aska," is up on charges of drug use. The pair were huge 20~30 years ago, but have been dormant recently. Universal is pulling all of their albums from circulation, as a public apology and acknowledgment of his wrongdoing.
Bonus irony is awarded for the other big news this week being Sir Paul McCartney's three-stadium concert tour being canceled due to the 71-year-old having a stomach bug. In 1980, Sir Paul was stopped at customs for having drugs in his baggage, was held for 10 days in jail, and his concert tour was canceled. However, right now the whole island is weeping openly about the cancellation of his tour, and buying his album, despite being associated with drugs.
So, the big news this week is that CHAGEandASKA's singer, "Aska," is up on charges of drug use. The pair were huge 20~30 years ago, but have been dormant recently. Universal is pulling all of their albums from circulation, as a public apology and acknowledgment of his wrongdoing.
Bonus irony is awarded for the other big news this week being Sir Paul McCartney's three-stadium concert tour being canceled due to the 71-year-old having a stomach bug. In 1980, Sir Paul was stopped at customs for having drugs in his baggage, was held for 10 days in jail, and his concert tour was canceled. However, right now the whole island is weeping openly about the cancellation of his tour, and buying his album, despite being associated with drugs.
Ghibli is delaying the release of their mega Blu-ray boxset to remove the On Your Mark music video.
Always amazes me how much Japan freaks out over drug use.
So, the big news this week is that CHAGEandASKA's singer, "Aska," is up on charges of drug use. The pair were huge 20~30 years ago, but have been dormant recently. Universal is pulling all of their albums from circulation, as a public apology and acknowledgment of his wrongdoing.
Bonus irony is awarded for the other big news this week being Sir Paul McCartney's three-stadium concert tour being canceled due to the 71-year-old having a stomach bug. In 1980, Sir Paul was stopped at customs for having drugs in his baggage, was held for 10 days in jail, and his concert tour was canceled. However, right now the whole island is weeping openly about the cancellation of his tour, and buying his album, despite being associated with drugs.
Ghibli is delaying the release of their mega Blu-ray boxset to remove the On Your Mark music video.
Always amazes me how much Japan freaks out over drug use.
Square just shot themselves in the foot.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about Japanese culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in America where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw someone over in Japan, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.
What this means is the japanese public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase the Ghibli boxset for either blu-ray or DVD, nor will they purchase any of CHAGEandASKA's albums. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but CHAGEandASKA have alienated an entire market with this move.
CHAGEandASKA, publicly apologize and cancel your tour or you can kiss your business goodbye.
Fuck, I forgot to change that first "Square" reference! :lol :teehee
Gundam: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11960243 :D
Which then led to this dramatic reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-uTnqYHZ-I
:badass
It's fun to do that on other boards every now and then. People take it seriously. :lol
Just my take:
- At least in my circles, there's a pretty good understanding of what the shrine is about, and although I don't know anyone who has, like, moral issues with the shrine, they know what visiting it means to other countries and why they shouldn't.
- It's a show of defiance. They know what they're doing.
- People who dislike Abe and his warhawkish behaviour dislike it, people who like him think it's great. Nobody makes a stink, it's Japan.
- I don't appreciate anyone trying to stir shit up, so I'm strongly against it. I don't think it's constructive at all.
- It was pretty funny. I felt bad for him, though. He's not a diplomat or government official, he's a dumb tourist, and he shouldn't get raked over the coals for his ignorance. In this case.
So, uhhhhhh, this happened:
The Japan Times - AKB48 dancers attacked by saw-wielding man (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/05/25/national/crime-legal/akb48-dancers-attacked-saw-wielding-man/)
Considering the insane fanbase (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/05/22/akb48-fan-shows-his-love-the-only-way-he-knows-how-by-buying-300000-worth-of-cds), sort of not surprised that this happened.
Considering the insane fanbase (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/05/22/akb48-fan-shows-his-love-the-only-way-he-knows-how-by-buying-300000-worth-of-cds), sort of not surprised that this happened.
So, uhhhhhh, this happened:
The Japan Times - AKB48 dancers attacked by saw-wielding man (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/05/25/national/crime-legal/akb48-dancers-attacked-saw-wielding-man/)
Considering the insane fanbase (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/05/22/akb48-fan-shows-his-love-the-only-way-he-knows-how-by-buying-300000-worth-of-cds), sort of not surprised that this happened.
Yeah, I've joked about sending AKB48 into the sun via JAXA rocket or, in the interests of world peace and international cooperation, a joint operation across the world's various space agencies... But when I saw this all over the news this morning, I felt bad for the girls and wanted to send their management to the sun instead.
The hype around these bands is insane, and it's not surprising that one of their emotionally stunted man-children fans lost their shit and charged the stage. News even had the attacker's mom interviewed this morning, and she said she's as stunned as any of us, he's a QUIET, SHY, SOCIALLY PRIVATE GUY who has TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER PEOPLE ("hitomishiri").
yikes
Dead Japanese nurse was mailed to Tokyo marked 'doll'
Japanese murder detectives are investigating the case of a young woman whose body was posted across Japan.
The body of Rika Okada, 29, was discovered in a 2-metre box labelled "doll" in a storage locker in Hachioji city, west of Tokyo.
The company that ferried the package from Osaka to Tokyo said that the order was paid in Ms Okada's name.
Japan Times reporter Joshua Adelstein told BBC Radio 5 live's Adil Ray that the case was "not as odd as you might think", as the area was a "hard place to dispose of bodies".
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27587361
Police in Osaka refused to confirm details, but reports said a woman who had been at elementary school with Okada had flown out of Tokyo earlier this month using the dead woman's passport.
The schoolmate, who was not named, is believed to have lived just a few hundred yards from the lock-up with a Chinese woman of about the same age.
:-\
Both women flew from Tokyo's Haneda airport on the same flight, bound for Shanghai.
Just before she went missing, Okada wrote on her Facebook page that she was going to meet up with an old friend whom she had not seen for a decade.
(technically, it's against the law in Japan to have headphones on while you're riding a bike)
Thanks for the tips and and help about finding a rental in Tokyo but unfortunately I won't be heading to Japan this summer. I actually did manage to select a school and my friend finally gave me the OK to stay at his house in Tokyo for a few months, oh well. I still do want to visit and say hi to J-Bore but I'm not sure when that'll happen. :'(
Still very determined to learn Japanese since there's legitimate relevancy to my job and I did manage to get interviewed by a few companies in Tokyo but language and not living there obviously put a damper on things.
anyone want to do me a favor and tell me how much this is?
https://deagostini.jp/kpfth/order_series.php
edit: nevermind. i misunderstood what it was. No way they'd send over a weekly subscription to this for a price I'd be willing to pay
anyone want to do me a favor and tell me how much this is?
https://deagostini.jp/kpfth/order_series.php
edit: nevermind. i misunderstood what it was. No way they'd send over a weekly subscription to this for a price I'd be willing to pay
anyone want to do me a favor and tell me how much this is?
https://deagostini.jp/kpfth/order_series.php
edit: nevermind. i misunderstood what it was. No way they'd send over a weekly subscription to this for a price I'd be willing to pay
There's a Kinokuniya in NYC, they do Japanese magazine subscriptions for people.
Not 100% sure but I think it was the Mainichi. It was at my father-in-law's house so I can't double check, but I'm pretty sure that's his current paper.
typhoon's coming, too, so... enjoy the wet clothes!
NHK apologizes for asking tough questions (http://www.japansubculture.com/nhk-apologizes-for-asking-tough-questions/)
:heh
So Abe got re-elected. The Yen:Dollar ratio is awesome for me, but everything else is absolute shit.:fbm
Fuck.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30444230
Summer in Japan is hell.
I’ve heard there are some places with worse heat and humidity in the USA, but I’ve never confirmed. It’s pretty miserable.
Summer in Japan is hell.
Summer in Japan is hell.
Visited Hong Kong in June a few years ago
:fbm
awesome! food wise so far my only plan is to check out jiros or his sons place in tokyo then gtfo to more peaceful/cooler climes. heard the cycling is v good around there (sapporo, around hokkaido in general) too, smooth wide roads due to regular maintenance and accommodating heavy snow fall
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201502240027
For all of Abe's ultra-nationalism, it strikes me as strange that the American military gets to run around like this.
You could also say, "Even if we go to war, we won't fail again. We'll be smarter. The times have changed from 70 years ago." Really? Have we advanced compared to people during the war? I don't believe that looking at the reactions of politicians after [the devastating tsunami and nuclear meltdown in March 2011], when the myth of safety around nuclear energy was shattered. Just by slithering along on our current path, we'll reach a point eventually where we'll give up, saying, "What's the use?" It's the same way we lost that war.
It's precisely because of Article 9 [in the constitution] that Japan doesn't kill anyone even if it's killed in war. It ties down our policies. Abe's policy is to completely overturn that. What's more, he isn't asking the public to amend the constitution, he's altering its interpretation.
We don't need to become a "normal country." We should continue being a unique country. If we become able to make war, we will surely make war. When the Cabinet decided to recognize collective self-defense, Article 9 was suddenly destroyed. Aren't we facing the most shocking crisis ever? I know, because I know war. What's important is the time before war begins — now. If it begins, we'll be swept away by it. So we need to completely slam on the brakes, not just a little. That's what Article 9 did.
[During World War II] there were a lot of people who cooperated reluctantly, but most of us marched down the procession of lanterns, cheering for victory. Ordinary people would call other ordinary people who didn't agree with them "unpatriotic." Young people say to "read the air." When I hear that, I fall into despair. We Japanese haven't changed at all. Cooperating with those around us is fine, but "reading the air" doesn't mean cooperation, it means agreement. Falling into step is becoming an absolute value. [...] Since old times, this attitude has led Japan into the bog of war. I call it a "slithering attitude," but whenever I hear about "reading the air," from now on I can only feel that sense of risk.
Bumping this to say I'm coming over in May, gonna be mainly in Tokyo (flying in and out of NRT) but I'm up for excursions. Gonna be in the country from May 14:th to 27:th. Holla at me.
Bumping this to say I'm coming over in May, gonna be mainly in Tokyo (flying in and out of NRT) but I'm up for excursions. Gonna be in the country from May 14:th to 27:th. Holla at me.
I’m in the USA for most of May... and I’m in Osaka, which is in no way Tokyo.
Hope you have a FANTASTIC trip. Tokyo is great to visit. Hope the exchange rate stays favorable to you.
Shit.Bumping this to say I'm coming over in May, gonna be mainly in Tokyo (flying in and out of NRT) but I'm up for excursions. Gonna be in the country from May 14:th to 27:th. Holla at me.
I’m in the USA for most of May... and I’m in Osaka, which is in no way Tokyo.
Hope you have a FANTASTIC trip. Tokyo is great to visit. Hope the exchange rate stays favorable to you.
Yeah, was thinking about actually railin' it down to Kansai this time, have some other friends there that I've still not visited. Oh well.
Bumping this to say I'm coming over in May, gonna be mainly in Tokyo (flying in and out of NRT) but I'm up for excursions. Gonna be in the country from May 14:th to 27:th. Holla at me.
I’m in the USA for most of May... and I’m in Osaka, which is in no way Tokyo.
Bumping this to say I'm coming over in May, gonna be mainly in Tokyo (flying in and out of NRT) but I'm up for excursions. Gonna be in the country from May 14:th to 27:th. Holla at me.
I’m in the USA for most of May... and I’m in Osaka, which is in no way Tokyo.
California?
Bumping this to say I'm coming over in May, gonna be mainly in Tokyo (flying in and out of NRT) but I'm up for excursions. Gonna be in the country from May 14:th to 27:th. Holla at me.
I’m in the USA for most of May... and I’m in Osaka, which is in no way Tokyo.
California?
Idaho for three weeks with my mother, then a week in so-cal (inland empire) for business and fun.
This works on so many levels:
http://www.gfycat.com/FinishedScratchyFoxhound#
:uguu
I wasn’t able to see this until today. The format didn’t work on my iOS devices.
This works on so many levels:
http://www.gfycat.com/FinishedScratchyFoxhound#
:uguu
I wasn’t able to see this until today. The format didn’t work on my iOS devices.
That looks like a good way to choke on a roach.
So unfortunately Reno won't be able to meet up with me in Osaka this friday so I'm gonna have to wing it. Kansai-bore got any tips? I'm coming down friday lunch and going back sat afternoon. Gonna be staying fairly close to the Namba area.
Yeah, we were planning on going to Ippudo so I'll look into trying that. Macho Ramen sounds intriguing too!
i'm thinking of going to japan next year. i haven't really figured out anything beyond that, but what i'd like to do if possible is experience the maximum arty hipster side of tokyo-as-big-city, rather than trying to experience japanese traditional culture, or anime/game stuff, or whatever. does that even make sense? any recommendations?
Is it difficult getting around and being a tourist without knowing the language? I'd love to visit sometime in the next 2-3 years, but I've forgotten what little I learned in 2 semesters of college a long time ago.
The coffee is probably fine, it's just that they talk your ear off about how awful evilore is while they prepare your drink
It has been cool out here in Ishikawa for most of the time I've been here. Was even feeling like fall on some nights...felt cold on some mornings. Was not expecting this at all...must be the rainy season.
I figured I'd be dripping in sweat -and I was in Tokyo- but it's been pretty damn nice out in the sticks. Leaving tomorrow, going back to the town's single yakiniku place tonight for dinner. :drool
I think the return trip is going to be a three hour shinkansen to Tokyo, then another 30-40 minute train ride to the airport, then a 12-13 hour flight to Chicago with a 2.5 hour layover, a 2-3 hour flight to Atlanta, and then a 45 minute car ride home.
:dead
Who the hell did you use to book the flight?
A Japanese city hosting the Group of Seven summit next year may change its new community mascot after the depiction of the female character was blasted as obscene and sexist.
The cartoon image of a voluptuous 17-year-old aspiring “ama” diver in search of a boyfriend drew fire from the real divers, who traditionally harvest seaweed, clams and, in some areas, pearls.
About 170 people, mostly female divers, have signed a petition calling for the city to scrap the character, according to a tourism official in the coastal city of Shima 300km south of Tokyo.
Protesters reportedly said the mascot, launched late last year, was obscene and sexist.
“We don’t want foreigners who visit... to think ‘ama’ divers look like this,” one of them told local media.
Cartoon images of young women with exaggerated body features are common in Japan and have attracted criticism.
The mascot spat also comes just weeks after Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic logo triggered plagiarism claims due to its resemblance to the logo of a Belgian theatre and a separate Spanish design.
“We may consider changing the mascot’s design to avoid hurting some people’s feelings,” the Shima official said.
“But at this point we have no plan to retract our official approval for the character.”
The real divers:
(https://glendalecommunitycollege.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/27-niigataama.jpg)
How the hell did they get that as their mascot?
The prefecture I lived in has this one:
(http://www.kaiho.co.jp/blog-staff/img/100man%20san.jpg)
My mom walked me to school on my first day and I think she picked me up again. I walked by myself from the 2nd day on. I also biked to friend's houses and back as soon as I could. Only rule was to do my homework first, then be home for either lunch or dinner. It's really not that big of a deal.
I'm from a relatively rural area, but you see the same thing in big cities. Latchkeykids everywhere. I dunno how dangerous the average American city is though.My mom walked me to school on my first day and I think she picked me up again. I walked by myself from the 2nd day on. I also biked to friend's houses and back as soon as I could. Only rule was to do my homework first, then be home for either lunch or dinner. It's really not that big of a deal.That's a little different than kids riding around a major city by themselves late at night. And things (sadly) are different now than they were when we were kids.
I sometimes wonder if that's true, though. I mean, yes, different, but isn't the overall crime rate lower than 20~30 years ago in the USA?My mom walked me to school on my first day and I think she picked me up again. I walked by myself from the 2nd day on. I also biked to friend's houses and back as soon as I could. Only rule was to do my homework first, then be home for either lunch or dinner. It's really not that big of a deal.
That's a little different than kids riding around a major city by themselves late at night. And things (sadly) are different now than they were when we were kids.
Let's grab a beer!
Message me your details and I'll do the same.Let's grab a beer!
Yess!
http://youtu.be/cJukyZinJ1I
http://www.dailydot.com/technology/japanese-licking-machine/?tw=dd
:japancry
I'm planning on finally getting over there next year, found an online tour that looks pretty neat.. trying to get my friend to go too but he's cash-strapped at the moment.
Japan seems p. cool.
Which one of you clowns is coming to Osaka next?
I've managed to host Bebpo, Hyoushi, A Slime Appears, Mr Gundam, Sho Nuff, JackFrost2012, and cormacaroni.
I've gotta catch you all, according to Nintendo.
Which one of you clowns is coming to Osaka next?
I've managed to host Bebpo, Hyoushi, A Slime Appears, Mr Gundam, Sho Nuff, JackFrost2012, and cormacaroni.
I've gotta catch you all, according to Nintendo.
I'm coming next year, plan to climb Mt. Fuji in June 'cause why the fuck not.
Definitely want to swing by and catch-up. You're good people!spoiler (click to show/hide)ALSO WANT TO HIT NIPPONBASHI SUPER HARD. THE RETRO CAPITAL OF JAPAN IS CALLING ME.[close]
Which one of you clowns is coming to Osaka next?
I've managed to host Bebpo, Hyoushi, A Slime Appears, Mr Gundam, Sho Nuff, JackFrost2012, and cormacaroni.
I've gotta catch you all, according to Nintendo.
I'm coming next year, plan to climb Mt. Fuji in June 'cause why the fuck not.
Definitely want to swing by and catch-up. You're good people!spoiler (click to show/hide)ALSO WANT TO HIT NIPPONBASHI SUPER HARD. THE RETRO CAPITAL OF JAPAN IS CALLING ME.[close]
YAY!
I'm definitely biased toward Kansai, but I feel Nipponbashi is objectively more enjoyable than Akihabara.
I don't ever try to sell people on why Osaka is great. It either sells itself, or it doesn't. There are plenty of ways to enjoy just about any place you end up in Japan.
Except Chiba.
Fuck Chiba.
voce sotto:I don't ever try to sell people on why Osaka is great. It either sells itself, or it doesn't. There are plenty of ways to enjoy just about any place you end up in Japan.
Except Chiba.
Fuck Chiba.
I don't normally like Osaka much, but I had a great time there when you showed me around! I think to really be into Osaka you gotta be a native or hang with one ;)
I'm thinking if I go I'd want it to be somewhere around 14 days. Accommodations don't matter to me, I hear AirBnB is fine. Though is business hotels are cheaper I definitely wouldn't mind going that route.It doesn't have to be overwhelming, you most likely end up visiting the country many times. There is no chance you get to do everything you want in one trip, so try to combine what you want the most without exhausting yourself.
As far as things to do... I'm not really sure. I'd love to spend some time in the cities and take it in, but I'd also like going to a shrine/castle and seeing some nature for a day or two. In my time in the city I'd probably devote a day or two to hitting up an arcade and go novelty shopping. Definitely would love a day at Disney SEA too.
Which is where the messy itinerary gets me. Especially when most "suggested guides" offer a rigid idea of what to do.
I can usually plan my way around cities/states, but a trip to Japan seems really overwhelming, even when it comes to just a basic plan.
If I had the choice I'd be going to a million places for a first trip, which is why I think I should try setting a reasonable budget so I can begin planning.
I don't ever try to sell people on why Osaka is great. It either sells itself, or it doesn't. There are plenty of ways to enjoy just about any place you end up in Japan.
Except Chiba.
Fuck Chiba.
The one time I went to Den Den Town, I was very unimpressed. You guys are gonna have to show me what's so awesome about it next time I can get up there.
In fact, I was pretty unimpressed with Osaka in general. It felt like a bigger Kanazawa.
:idont
You probably just stuck to Sakaisuji Avenue, which is ok but that's mainly the tourist area. There are a ton of hidden little stores all around Den Den in the backstreets that have all sorts of awesome stuff for super cheap. Back when I went retro game hunting it was light years ahead of Akiba and this was before neckbeard press flocked there from TGS and ruined stock/prices.
Retro gaming aside, I'd imagine Akihabara still leads in arcades and has some cool stuff to do, right?There's a half-dozen smaller arcades and UFO-catcher shops, and three or four larger, multi-story arcades in Nipponbashi. I don't know how many there are in Akiba, I assume there's more. It's larger. There are a dozen or so themed maid cafes, and the rest is collectible toys and models and fan-made figure consignment shops (Volks).
Well, there's only a couple of arcades but they'll have 8 machines dedicated to each new game release. Anything older than like 2 years though, good luck.
And while Aki is waaaaaaaay less fun than it used to be, if you like buying import non-retro games, it's still a blast. I can browse used game stores like traders or sofmap for hours and find all kinds of gems. If I ever go back to Japan solo again in the future, I'll probably spend multiple days just in Aki. It's totally my guilty pleasure and I always feel rushed when I go with other people since a couple hours is totally not enough for me. But then again, I'm sort of still building an old-school DCharlie-esque own every notable game ever collection because I have a problem ;_; so everytime I go to Japan I come back with like 20-30 games usually. It used to be PS2 titles, but last time I went it was all about obscure PS3/PSP/DS stuff.
Akiba is awash in foreigners, and every flavor of intolerable nerdlinger is there pretending they're opening up Japan like Admiral Fucking Perry in his black ships.
Can anyone give me some vacation destination recommendations for a two week stint out there?
Pretty familiar with: Tokyo/Yokohama/Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Hiroshima/Nikko.
Thinking of visiting Shikoku/Kumamoto since I've never been to those regions. I'm interested in doing a Fuji climb so I'd like to go to Fujiyoshida and do something other than Fuji-Q like last time. I'm also thinking of going north to Iwate for the country/sea. Or hell, maybe another big city like Kobe or Nagoya is a must see?
Not sure. ???
Can anyone give me some vacation destination recommendations for a two week stint out there?
Pretty familiar with: Tokyo/Yokohama/Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Hiroshima/Nikko.
Thinking of visiting Shikoku/Kumamoto since I've never been to those regions. I'm interested in doing a Fuji climb so I'd like to go to Fujiyoshida and do something other than Fuji-Q like last time. I'm also thinking of going north to Iwate for the country/sea. Or hell, maybe another big city like Kobe or Nagoya is a must see?
Not sure. ???
Have you been to Miyajima before?
Also, my wife and I really enjoyed a day trip from Osaka out to Minoh to hike up to the waterfall and then a visit to the brewery back in town. We didn't see any other foreigners the entire day, and the people at Minoh Brewing were confused why some Americans came there, but were super appreciative.
Can anyone give me some vacation destination recommendations for a two week stint out there?
Pretty familiar with: Tokyo/Yokohama/Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Hiroshima/Nikko.
Thinking of visiting Shikoku/Kumamoto since I've never been to those regions. I'm interested in doing a Fuji climb so I'd like to go to Fujiyoshida and do something other than Fuji-Q like last time. I'm also thinking of going north to Iwate for the country/sea. Or hell, maybe another big city like Kobe or Nagoya is a must see?
Not sure. ???
Have you been to Miyajima before?
Also, my wife and I really enjoyed a day trip from Osaka out to Minoh to hike up to the waterfall and then a visit to the brewery back in town. We didn't see any other foreigners the entire day, and the people at Minoh Brewing were confused why some Americans came there, but were super appreciative.
They're less confused now. They opened a tap room nearby where crafties can congregate. I don't know if the brewery does tours any longer, but I want to visit the tap room. I recall you said the tour was super friendly, and the beers/glass/tour were very reasonable?
I liked Miyajima the one time I went for a day. I just remember there being a lot of free-roaming deer like Nara and some nice hiking. Not sure if I'd go back, but if I was in Hiroshima for a couple of days I'm sure I would.
I shudder to think of the people who would be joining you on a weeb tour.
:donot
They are your people, Bork. Don't deny it. :bolo
I heard Aki has been pretty picked clean and most of the good retro shit is elsewhere or in rural towns ???
I heard Aki has been pretty picked clean and most of the good retro shit is elsewhere or in rural towns ???
Pretty much. Westerners buy everything up and take it home with them as opposed to before when Japanese would buy the stuff and eventually sell it back.
I've been done with retro buying for a while now. Whenever I go now I just hold off on imports about six months before going and buy them when I'm there. And I'm honestly more excited about checking out Japanese craft beer, eating ramen, drinking coffee, walking around and hanging out in cool neighborhoods.
If you're in Tokyo, go to 一風堂 and order a bowl of 尻丸ラーメン.Oh, man. Ippuudoh is my fucking jam. I had it in Yokohama originally, and am stoked there are franchises in Namba and Umeda now. It's goooood.
I heard Aki has been pretty picked clean and most of the good retro shit is elsewhere or in rural towns ???
Pretty much. Westerners buy everything up and take it home with them as opposed to before when Japanese would buy the stuff and eventually sell it back.
I've been done with retro buying for a while now. Whenever I go now I just hold off on imports about six months before going and buy them when I'm there. And I'm honestly more excited about checking out Japanese craft beer, eating ramen, drinking coffee, walking around and hanging out in cool neighborhoods.
Super stoked for your return trip! Whenever that'll be. There are several more craft beer options in Osaka, and a plethora in Kyoto now. Also: RAMEN! :drool
I heard Aki has been pretty picked clean and most of the good retro shit is elsewhere or in rural towns ???
I heard Aki has been pretty picked clean and most of the good retro shit is elsewhere or in rural towns ???
Rural towns have been picked clean, too. It's all online now. Can't find what you want? Hit up Amazon.jp and have it sent to your hotel or nearest Conbini. :doge
I heard Aki has been pretty picked clean and most of the good retro shit is elsewhere or in rural towns ???
If you're willing to venture out of Tokyo (and you should) then Retro hunting really isn't all that bad. DenDen in Osaka is the retro capital of Japan and once you head off Nipponbashi you can usually find some local shop with good selection and decent prices. There are also chains like Book-off, or Hard-off if you're away from the city, which can net you some good finds as well. There are more regional variations of the "discount used goods" store but they are plentiful and are obvious to spot so visit those too. This varies from city to city obviously as you're going to find shit in Kamakura for example but south Okayama area (Kurashiki/Tamano) is a fucking hotbed for some inexplicable reason, lol.
I'm better at buying retro in Japan than my friends who live there, lol. I can write a guide to doing this at this point.
~$10-15 a day for food
Maybe he eats one/half a meal a day. :lol
~$10-15 a day for food
:confused
~$10-15 a day for food
:confused
~$10-15 a day for food
:confused
Well I was listing the cheap end. From all my experiences food is cheaper in Japan than California. I usually eat twice a day at lunch/dinner and if I'm not going restaurant or sushi or something it's usually around 700-800 yen a meal at like a ramen place, or tempura, or curry, or mos burger, etc.... Even in CA when I'm eating out I'll spend $10-15 a day for food. I get lunch at the mom & pop Mexican place across from my office for $5.99.
Then again, I weigh like 130-140 pounds and don't need to eat much to be full.
Also, if you still want data access and don't want to pay a fortune for roaming (or deal with swapping SIM cards) I recommend getting a month-to-month T-Mobile subscription. Their standard plan includes unlimited 150kbit/sec access in Japan, and it works a treat. (You won't be watching Youtube or Netflix, but for maps and finding places it's perfect)
~$10-15 a day for food
:confused
Well I was listing the cheap end. From all my experiences food is cheaper in Japan than California. I usually eat twice a day at lunch/dinner and if I'm not going restaurant or sushi or something it's usually around 700-800 yen a meal at like a ramen place, or tempura, or curry, or mos burger, etc.... Even in CA when I'm eating out I'll spend $10-15 a day for food. I get lunch at the mom & pop Mexican place across from my office for $5.99.
Then again, I weigh like 130-140 pounds and don't need to eat much to be full.
This is his first trip over there. I'd be taking some of that budget and eating well. Stay at a nice place or two. Go for like 10 days if that doesn't fit into two weeks. When I would go around by myself, I usually would stay at business hotels in areas convenient to train lines. Was like 6000-8000 yen a night. Hostels :yuck I recommend Toyoko-Inn. (https://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/)
Only once to Hokkaido in summer; it's pleasant compared to everything south. Still muggy, but not bad. Most homes didn't have air conditioners because they never needed them, just heaters. Now it's getting warmer, and indoors gets a bit close feeling.
When you're coming to Kyoto, let me know. I'll come out and meet you.
Man Okinawa is a good idea. Thanks for the recommendation.
Gonna be SUPER IGNORANT here but isn't it just like a Hawaii 2.0? That's the gist I got from a Japanese friend who's been there. I only ask 'cause it's probably cheaper for me to head to Hawaii instead of Okinawa, lol.
Man Okinawa is a good idea. Thanks for the recommendation.
Gonna be SUPER IGNORANT here but isn't it just like a Hawaii 2.0? That's the gist I got from a Japanese friend who's been there. I only ask 'cause it's probably cheaper for me to head to Hawaii instead of Okinawa, lol.
FUKUSAKI, Hyogo Prefecture--His folklore characters have been scaring children for more than a century, and Kunio Yanagita’s “kappa” water spirit kept up the tradition at the spring festival here on April 8.
The long-haired demon, given the character name of Gajiro, was there for a benevolent reason, to help sell a special kappa curry created in honor of Yanagita (1875-1962), who came from Fukusaki. But the kids at the event didn’t seem to be too keen to try the dish.
“He is scary!” and “I don’t like him!” were two of the concerned reactions overheard.
So, about to go to Japan and a little concerned about all the US-Korea chest beating going on. What's the general feel of Japanese people these days? Are people nervous about a potential war breaking out nearby? Or is everyone just going about their day like normal going "not this shit again"? From what I hear in South Korea it's the latter.
Are you gonna be harvested by chrono when in Japan like the rest of this forum?
That sounds really scary. Ya'll probably just a bunch of axe murderers
I would like to go to Osaka and meet Chronovore. That's pretty much the reason I'd like to go back there.spoiler (click to show/hide)That and Den Den Town. I need my otaku crap. :doge[close]
I go to Osaka just for Chrono. He's worth it! I like Denden, but I'm satisfied with like once every 10 years visit. It's too retro for me and I'm a PS1-onwards guy. I do love the Gundam store though, so many cool models to eyeball.:uguu
Never heard of those. Is it Osaka's Akiba? Fun fact: I didn't know what Akiba was first time I went to Japan, or why my im@s obsessed Twitter friends dragged me there. :lolYeah, exactly right. It has all kinds of animation and mecha themed stores. Both areas have their origins as electronic specialty stores centers, and later converted to mostly geek interests. The otaku culture has shaped them to their present state.
A new spot opened on Friday offering a multinational experience with servers from Brazil, China, Taiwan, Germany, Italy, the U.S., France, and Indonesia. Dubbed "Sugoi Kawaii," the cafe is "of, by, and for gaijin" (foreigners).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcuArXDs8Lw
Sugoi Kawaii is called a café but its menu specializes in alcohol.:leon
QuoteA new spot opened on Friday offering a multinational experience with servers from Brazil, China, Taiwan, Germany, Italy, the U.S., France, and Indonesia. Dubbed "Sugoi Kawaii," the cafe is "of, by, and for gaijin" (foreigners).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcuArXDs8Lw
:donotspoiler (click to show/hide)QuoteSugoi Kawaii is called a café but its menu specializes in alcohol.:leon[close]
My trip is coming up, gonna be in J-land from Sept 9:th through 25:th :uguu
My trip is coming up, gonna be in J-land from Sept 9:th through 25:th :uguu
Are you coming to Kansai, bae?
Missile matsuri in Osaka!
Yeah, a friend and I just last week visited the spot where Taco Bell Jesus will be born
Yeah, a friend and I just last week visited the spot where Taco Bell Jesus will be born
:rejoice
I think I'm gonna have to hit the Bell today for lunch in celebration.
A lot of people from the US have shown disappointment over the Japanese Taco Bell food. :(
I only ate at Taco Bell once when in the US but it's so long ago I can't remember what it was like.
Bombard away. I love my adopted country, but my knowledge is largely limited to Kyoto and Osaka, where I've lived.
Bombard away. I love my adopted country, but my knowledge is largely limited to Kyoto and Osaka, where I've lived.
1. How much japanese do I need to know? Will I be okay just knowing beginner level shit?
2. Is the train system easy to understand? Is it affordable?
3. What's a good budget for 2.5 weeks? Should I exchange money here or in Japan?
4. What should I do/see in Tokyo? What's a good amount of time to spend there?
5. Where's the nightlife? I'd like to visit at least one hip hop or reggae/dancehall club.
6. Where should I visit besides Tokyo? It would be cool if I could visit temples, shrines, more country or small town areas, etc.
7. What restaurants do I need to try?
8. Where's that giant Gundam located?
9. Would you have any time to hang out with me? :-[
...that's what I can think of so far. Thanks chrono. I haven't booked my flight yet, but I'm aiming for March 12th to April 1st.
Oh fuck, I thought March was before cherry blossom season started. I'll try to confirm my days off from work asap before I ask you anything else.
I had no idea that the RX-78 was dismantled and replaced by unicorn. I definitely plan on seeing it.
大阪のみなさん、ついに今日から2週間後の9/19にオープンします！スケジュールを覚えておいてね。そして、初日は先着100名様にタコスと限定Tシャツをプレゼント！さらにコンボがゲット出来るVIPカードもお渡しします。オープンは9/19の朝10時です！ You probably already knew this though. lol
Leave it to Valkyrie to turn even the Japan thread into a Taco Bell thread. ¡Truly the Borita we deserve!大阪のみなさん、ついに今日から2週間後の9/19にオープンします！スケジュールを覚えておいてね。そして、初日は先着100名様にタコスと限定Tシャツをプレゼント！さらにコンボがゲット出来るVIPカードもお渡しします。オープンは9/19の朝10時です！ You probably already knew this though. lol
Ok, so I clicked on this thread and started reading this post and thought you were saying your schedule is finally free and that you were going to give tacos and t-shirts as a present to the first 100 people that were gonna hang out with you in Osaka (which was kinda weird, but ok), but then when I got to the VIP card I was like wait, I'm confused and then when I saw 10am I was like Ohhhhhh, this is quoting taco bell.
Had to shorten my trip a bit after speaking to my boss. Oh well. I just booked my flight. I arrive on the afternoon of March 13th and leave the afternoon of the 27th. :hyperI put you in my calendar. Let me know when your regional plans shape up, and I'll help you out however I can in Kansai.
Trip is going well so far, I'm posting photos here FYI:
https://t-shortography.tumblr.com (https://t-shortography.tumblr.com)
I see a lot of people say nice things about Osaka and Kyoto. So Tokyo isn't that good?
Philosopher’s path is really romantic with the falling leaves along the canal!
I see a lot of people say nice things about Osaka and Kyoto. So Tokyo isn't that good?
Okay, we're gonna stay in the Kyoto area from the 14th to the 17th, so 3 days.
Any of you guys ever go to Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki? Little bit of the Netherlands in Japan.
In 2015, the Henna Hotel ("Strange Hotel") opened on site. It is the world's first hotel staffed by robots
Chrono,
Japan is off for the time being. We have a wedding to attend in Belgium this Spring so we'll be doing that instead and spending some time in Germany as well. And our friends all backed out on Japan, so it will be just my family at some point in the future. I'll let you know when. We've thought about maybe November.
Yeah, I'm passing on Japan this year and going to Singapore/HK/Macau instead. Was invited/tempted to go to the Xenogears concert in April but had to choose between the two trips and would rather check out some new places. Might go in the fall (maybe I'll go when Mr. Gundam goes so we can cross paths), but I'll probably just wait and go spring. I keep wanting to go in Feb for the Sapporo snow festival but that's really fucking cold and I might be too old for turning into ice.
My trip is still happening, chrono. :hyper
Is it too late to get the Ghibli Museum tickets? How much are they? I should've asked you this a long time ago but I forgot.
If March 18th is available, I'd like two for that day. It's the last day that my friend will be in Tokyo and have time to do stuff. If not, then one ticket for any day from the 19th to the 26th should be fine.My trip is still happening, chrono. :hyper
Is it too late to get the Ghibli Museum tickets? How much are they? I should've asked you this a long time ago but I forgot.
Oh, shit! Yeah, I've got to get some for my friends who are also coming to Japan shortly. I'd rather pick them all up at once, so you have to let me know WHICH DAY you want to visit. Preferably a range of days, in case they're sold out. I've never been, but I've heard they only allow a max number of visitors per day.
I don't know how much it costs. I think it's less than $50.
OK, I'll have a peek as soon as my friend re-confirms her family's needed dates!If March 18th is available, I'd like two for that day. It's the last day that my friend will be in Tokyo and have time to do stuff. If not, then one ticket for any day from the 19th to the 26th should be fine.My trip is still happening, chrono. :hyper
Is it too late to get the Ghibli Museum tickets? How much are they? I should've asked you this a long time ago but I forgot.
Oh, shit! Yeah, I've got to get some for my friends who are also coming to Japan shortly. I'd rather pick them all up at once, so you have to let me know WHICH DAY you want to visit. Preferably a range of days, in case they're sold out. I've never been, but I've heard they only allow a max number of visitors per day.
I don't know how much it costs. I think it's less than $50.
So for some reason, my friend believes that we need to purchase the JR Pass in advance. Is he right? I assumed it'd be something that I could just buy at the airport once I landed.
Shit. Good thing he found out when he did. I see that they have them for 7, 14, and 21 days. I'll be there for 15 days though. Do I have no other option besides buying the one for 21 days? Can I just pay cash to take the train to the airport?
Also, I forgot to look into ryokans. I'm assuming most of the better ones are filled by now. The one you linked was sold out a long time ago Bebpo. Unless I read things on the site wrong.
Yeah, just a train from my airbnb to the airport on the last day.
November is a good time to come, right? Everything we've read says so, and if we're there Thanksgiving week hopefully we can see some of the early Christmas decorations.Japan is lovely in November. It hasn't become winter yet, so it's not freezing-ass cold, and if you time it right you might see "kouyou," the turning of the leaves. Kyoto has several maple gardens where they are just completely red and beautiful.
My friend got to Tokyo today and he's already enjoying himself. I can't wait to get there next week.
My friend got to Tokyo today and he's already enjoying himself. I can't wait to get there next week.
OK, well, a bit of trouble: I went to Lawson's Loppi vendor to get your tickets. The entire month has been sold out, apparently since the moment they went on sale. When I bought tickets a few years ago, this wasn't the case. I'm very sorry that I couldn't come through for you.
I'm still hoping to meet you in Kyoto. Any change from March 14th-17th?
(http://i.imgur.com/L4g570ql.jpg) (https://imgur.com/L4g570q)
Beezy, thanks for being understanding. I felt miserable about this.Lol its okay. I've learned and accepted a long time ago that plans aren't guaranteed to happen. Don't stress it.
I found one with available March tickets but they want $132I'd rather put that $132 towards food and drinks.
Beezy, I'm gonna hit you up in PMs with my deets. Hopefully you're ready or en route already!I'm here now. Traveling to Osaka tomorrow. Do you wanna meet then or another day?
Beezy, I'm gonna hit you up in PMs with my deets. Hopefully you're ready or en route already!I'm here now. Traveling to Osaka tomorrow. Do you wanna meet then or another day?
Lol. Last night we walked down a street near Dotonbori that we were pretty sure was run by Yakuza. Guys in suits standing around every block, not that many pedestrians, and it was eerily quiet the whole way through.
We accidentally ended up at Dotonbori btw. My friend needed a charger for his MacBook so we went to the closest Apple store then just wandered around and ended up there. The whole time I was like "what is this place? Where the fuck are we?!" :lol
Ha. We almost ended up in a fight with some dudes in a Kabukicho bar funneling money for the Yakuza in 2010, but fortunately Cormac stepped in smoothed things out.
LOL, I remember Cormac getting so drunk that he was fighting with DCharlie and at one point was crawling around barking like a dog. :lol
I love balding 50-year old caucasians. My idea of nightlife is a place with good beer and a table.:-*
What the fuck is a wave cap?:dayum :foxx :hitler :flabbypd :cac :crazy :mjcry :foodcourt
So they get perms? What kind of guy gets a perm?
Some people claim that a wave cap will also work on straight hair. I’ve never tried it so can’t really confirm one way or another.
He doesn't post here anymore, but I met up with Cormac yesterday in Roppongi. Really cool guy. If I have time, I might hang out with him again this weekend. Japan Bore has been great to me.
Just booked my plane ticket and am working with a tour company to put together an itinerary! Really excited, my first time to Japan, which is of course a place I've dreamed about going ever since I was little. Going to Tokyo/Hakone/Kyoto/Osaka and doing a mixture of weeb stuff, hip nightlife stuff, TGS, and traditional stuff.
Just booked my plane ticket and am working with a tour company to put together an itinerary! Really excited, my first time to Japan, which is of course a place I've dreamed about going ever since I was little. Going to Tokyo/Hakone/Kyoto/Osaka and doing a mixture of weeb stuff, hip nightlife stuff, TGS, and traditional stuff.
Just booked my plane ticket and am working with a tour company to put together an itinerary! Really excited, my first time to Japan, which is of course a place I've dreamed about going ever since I was little. Going to Tokyo/Hakone/Kyoto/Osaka and doing a mixture of weeb stuff, hip nightlife stuff, TGS, and traditional stuff.
Hit me up in PMs if you’d be up for a beer.
:-*
Tour company? C'mon man, you're better than that.
I honestly am really surprised you haven't been to Japan before. You're like more into Japanese stuff than me! And you travel!
Unicorn is gonna be up for a while, right? Heading back in November and would love to get a picture of my daughter and I in front of it.Gundam Base is still really cool if you have any interest in gunpla and if you want to see any tourney winning builds up close.
Gundam Base doesn't sound nearly as cool as Gundam Front was in that same spot. It was more of a museum with less focus on selling model kits and they showed exclusive shorts there on the dome screen. When I was there in 2014 they had a special exhibition on the history of Gundam side story games and manga.
Just booked my plane ticket and am working with a tour company to put together an itinerary! Really excited, my first time to Japan, which is of course a place I've dreamed about going ever since I was little. Going to Tokyo/Hakone/Kyoto/Osaka and doing a mixture of weeb stuff, hip nightlife stuff, TGS, and traditional stuff.
Hit me up in PMs if you’d be up for a beer.
:-*
Absolutely! By the time I get there will you have moved to Tokyo?
Damn that AirBNB "regulation" bullshit has made lodging in Japan way harder and more expensive to book now.What's this about now?
Damn that AirBNB "regulation" bullshit has made lodging in Japan way harder and more expensive to book now.What's this about now?
As of spring, more than 62,000 properties in Japan were available on the website of the world's largest home-share operator. The number has since plummeted nearly 80% to about 13,800.
Without a specific law on the books, prospective hosts had been required to obtain either a permit under the hotel law or certification in a special economic zone, such as Tokyo's Ota Ward. But many homeowners had obtained neither, leaving them in a legal gray zone.
In early June, Airbnb stopped listing properties that lacked official permits or had not registered confirmation codes from local governments as required under the new law, and listings plunged to about 13,800 -- roughly 80% below the peak. By June 15, the count had recovered to about 27,000 as some owners received confirmation keys and re-registered. But the company is still working to purge illegal listings, it was revealed Thursday, and probably has removed several thousand more in the last week after the Japan Tourism Agency asked it to look into the matter. Many owners are believed to have quit during this period.
any of you kind enough to tell me what this hashtag is about? I'm scrolling down its TL looking like :noah
https://twitter.com/hashtag/ロボと人の対比構図が見てみたい?src=hash
Baird and devilCraft allow kids, and I think the fancy new Kiuchi/Hitachino place over near Akihabara does, too. I got lots of time for research.I've visited the Baird Nakameguro Taproom three times now. I'm going to buy their "12 beers for the price of 10" card, because I know I'll have that particular backlog cleared in just a few more visits. :lol
That really sucks. I'm happy that I got to visit when I did.Damn that AirBNB "regulation" bullshit has made lodging in Japan way harder and more expensive to book now.What's this about now?
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Sharing-Economy/Airbnb-removes-80-of-Japan-home-share-listings
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Sharing-Economy/Airbnb-exodus-spawns-business-boom-in-JapanQuoteAs of spring, more than 62,000 properties in Japan were available on the website of the world's largest home-share operator. The number has since plummeted nearly 80% to about 13,800.
Without a specific law on the books, prospective hosts had been required to obtain either a permit under the hotel law or certification in a special economic zone, such as Tokyo's Ota Ward. But many homeowners had obtained neither, leaving them in a legal gray zone.QuoteIn early June, Airbnb stopped listing properties that lacked official permits or had not registered confirmation codes from local governments as required under the new law, and listings plunged to about 13,800 -- roughly 80% below the peak. By June 15, the count had recovered to about 27,000 as some owners received confirmation keys and re-registered. But the company is still working to purge illegal listings, it was revealed Thursday, and probably has removed several thousand more in the last week after the Japan Tourism Agency asked it to look into the matter. Many owners are believed to have quit during this period.
Plenty of cheap business hotels out there still.
:idont
That really sucks. I'm happy that I got to visit when I did.
Baird and devilCraft allow kids, and I think the fancy new Kiuchi/Hitachino place over near Akihabara does, too. I got lots of time for research.I've visited the Baird Nakameguro Taproom three times now. I'm going to buy their "12 beers for the price of 10" card, because I know I'll have that particular backlog cleared in just a few more visits. :lol
Not that I'm aware of! Japan is incredibly backward in its tightfisted control of even its most mediocre IPs. Korea had it right 20 years ago: stream it all, and let the advertising dollars (won) decide! Japan probably would prefer to have everyone with their digital-broadcast decoder rights card and an NHK subscription for any monitor in the house with a tuner!
Not that I'm aware of! Japan is incredibly backward in its tightfisted control of even its most mediocre IPs. Korea had it right 20 years ago: stream it all, and let the advertising dollars (won) decide! Japan probably would prefer to have everyone with their digital-broadcast decoder rights card and an NHK subscription for any monitor in the house with a tuner!
Well damn. Guess we'll be illegally streaming while we're there.
So many rental places don't have TV. Not a deal breaker but so annoying.
I suggested finding a second hand shop and getting a super cheap TV for the week. Em was like "you're stupid."
Baird and devilCraft allow kids, and I think the fancy new Kiuchi/Hitachino place over near Akihabara does, too. I got lots of time for research.
:lol
Japanese TV is SO BAD. You can just find a bar with the TV running, sit there and drink shochu and watch THEIR TV.
:lol
Japanese TV is SO BAD. You can just find a bar with the TV running, sit there and drink shochu and watch THEIR TV.
It's absolutely terrible, but is kinda like a train wreck at times where you just can't look away. We're guessing we'll have some early evenings when Addie crashes from the jet lag and it's gonna be damn quiet in the hotel/apartment.
edit: Bit of a sorta related tangent. We watched John Mullaney's latest Netflix special and it was weird seeing him redo his entire SNL monologue verbatim.
Well, only a few more days till my flight. I'm staying around the Tokyo Tower area and should be around Tues and Thurs night (and possibly Sat night after TGS) if any J-boreans want to meet up for a quick bite/drink.Go hangout with chrono and Cormac! I wish I could've hung out with both of them together when I visited.
Well, only a few more days till my flight. I'm staying around the Tokyo Tower area and should be around Tues and Thurs night (and possibly Sat night after TGS) if any J-boreans want to meet up for a quick bite/drink.Go hangout with chrono and Cormac! I wish I could've hung out with both of them together when I visited.
Well, only a few more days till my flight. I'm staying around the Tokyo Tower area and should be around Tues and Thurs night (and possibly Sat night after TGS) if any J-boreans want to meet up for a quick bite/drink.
I did a whole lot, but still not enough. Most of my time in Tokyo was spent in Shibuya. I visited bars in Golden Gai many nights, went to night clubs, wandered around many arcades, played most of the games at Namco's VR Zone, ate ramen at Ichiran any chance I got, went to the batting cages, visited temples, shrines, Tokyo Skytree, Gundam Cafe, the Gundam Base Tokyo store in Odaiba, bought a lot of Gunpla (chrono's fault), went to the "Kill Bill restaurant" with Cormac, ate at Tsukiji Fish Market, shopped in Akihabara... and just ate as much as possible, walked a whole lot, sometimes with a goal/destination in mind, sometimes aimlessly, and took the train just about every where.Well, only a few more days till my flight. I'm staying around the Tokyo Tower area and should be around Tues and Thurs night (and possibly Sat night after TGS) if any J-boreans want to meet up for a quick bite/drink.Go hangout with chrono and Cormac! I wish I could've hung out with both of them together when I visited.
Will do, just sent Chrono a msg on FB. What type of stuff did you do when you were there? Did you fly JFK direct to Tokyo?
Having a blast here... finally made it to Kyoto after an overnight in Hakone. Will post details later but I'm having a blast. Delicious food and beer, a mixture of traditional Japanese culture and pure weeb stuff.
I heard some Halloween partying was especially crazy in Tokyo yesterday.
Did you catch any of that Chrono?
Had a wonderful 10 days in Tokyo and Kyoto. Summer is hell, Spring is really nice, but Fall is the best.It was great to reconnect with your family! Man, what a blast!
Had a wonderful 10 days in Tokyo and Kyoto. Summer is hell, Spring is really nice, but Fall is the best.It was great to reconnect with your family! Man, what a blast!
I wanna come back, but it's not really the type of trip that I can do yearly. :(
I wonder if it would be a mistake to go there for the 2020 Olympics?
I'm going to be in Tokyo early November (after the rugby world cup cause fuck that) if any of you wanna meet up hollar at me:respect
I’m gonna be in Japan when the leaves turn red this year. Was planning on going during hanami with friends but couldn’t convince any of my friends to go so if I’m going solo I want a new experience and I’ve never been to Kyoto during the red fall foliage so that’s when I’ll go this year and take lots of photos.
I had a lot of fun with the ERA thread about Pierre Taki admitting to cocaine use but in all seriousness I had no idea that standard procedure for entertainment stars was to literally scrub all of their oeuvre from existence if it became public they did drugs.
I had a lot of fun with the ERA thread about Pierre Taki admitting to cocaine use but in all seriousness I had no idea that standard procedure for entertainment stars was to literally scrub all of their oeuvre from existence if it became public they did drugs.
I love visiting Japan but there is a lot of stuff I seriously take issue with over there.
The Abe government's attempts at silencing the domestic press and xenophobia toward non-whites and non-Japanese Asians sure are great.
Can you reserve tickets at a Loppi machine in Tokyo for a restaurant in Osaka? How does that whole system work?
I want to eat at a character cafe at least one of my days there, but it seems their system relies on Lawson loppi machines.
I spoke with somebody I know, and it seems that I have to make a reservation through a system and that I have to log into one of their machines and fill out the rest. After finishing that up, I'd just get a ticket printed out.Can you reserve tickets at a Loppi machine in Tokyo for a restaurant in Osaka? How does that whole system work?
I want to eat at a character cafe at least one of my days there, but it seems their system relies on Lawson loppi machines.
Zero idea. You'd have to be more specific before I can even check.
I'm always shocked that okonomiyaki isn't a thing in the US. It's so unique and fun to make, yet outside of Oahu (basically catering to the Japanese tourists who need a taste of home while visiting America Light) it's relatively unknown or bastardized to hell at the few places that do it. Teppanyaki restaurants have always been popular, so why not offer okonomiyaki as an option?
What's in Kanazawa?
Chrono is a great Osaka guide/drinking buddy.Thanks!
We had a blast with him in Osaka, but Chrono knows Tokyo, too. After an awesome evening out, he got my heart-condition jet lagged ass safely on a train back to my wife and daughter in Nippori.
What up J-Bore, I'mma comin Kyoto-way in mid-September. Keep the heat turned up for me over there
Bebs, have you been to Luida's Bar yet? Also Beep! Akihabara is a really awesome experience if you like retro Japanese PCs.
Also, I want to(snip)
Chrono, you drink Whiskey? I'm pretty sure I owe you from previous trips so I'll cover you to be my +1 if you do :heart
(snip)
Anyone have any recommendations for "easy mode" pub crawling for someone without Japanese language skills? I'm here in Tokyo with my brothers until Saturday morning and they want to do the pub crawl/drinking alley thing(like Golden Gai) but I don't know any Japanese and it's not really my thing to begin with so I was hoping for something like that but more chill without being somewhere that's SUPER busy or crowded.
Similarly, anyone have recommendations for one of those "all you can drink/eat for "X" hours for $20/30" restaurants(or I think there were also some that offered 270Y drinks with food?)?
Thanks!
Been in ER on morphine less than 48 hours before flight out to Japan, us Boreans not having good luck with pre-Japan trip injuries.
Got the worst case of salmonella/e.coli food poisoning had in my life by miles on Friday night. I haven't thrown up in like 5-10 years, and was puking my brains out 3 days before the flight. Will have to figure out tomorrow whether I"m gonna have to cancel like half the trip and eat a ton of costs because I never buy the trip insurance -_-
Fingers crossed end up able in a condition to survive the flight over, but even in best case, gonna have to avoid alcohol and a lot of foods for the first 3-4 days of the trip until my digestive system is recovered.
Sucks.
Oh lord, I forgot how it was so aggravating to try to contact Japanese companies... :lolAnd if you're approaching them in non-Japanese language, it adds a order-of-magnitude to their response time.
I had to settle on sending inquiries to the general "contact us" form most of the time (which itself is a bit of work to find), making that job probing even more of a shot in the dark thing than it already is.
Oh lord, I forgot how it was so aggravating to try to contact Japanese companies... :lolAnd if you're approaching them in non-Japanese language, it adds a order-of-magnitude to their response time.
I had to settle on sending inquiries to the general "contact us" form most of the time (which itself is a bit of work to find), making that job probing even more of a shot in the dark thing than it already is.
On Friday, the McDonald’s Showa-dori branch in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood permanently closed down, and it broke the news to passersby by putting up a sign that read:(https://asset.japantoday.com/img/store/ed/94/efb88ea79f7e03e08432fe5e49b5a2ec5f9b/am-4.png)
“Thank you for your 22 years of patronage.
The Akihabara Showadori branch McDonald’s will be permanently closing at 6 p.m. on January 31. Thank you for the past 22 years. We deeply appreciate the customers who supported this branch, and hope you will continue to dine at other McDonald’s locations.”
Burger King’s message reads:
Thank you for 22 happy years.
Our neighbor two buildings over, McDonald’s, will be closing today.
Esteemed rival, and fellow friend who loved Akihabara,
because you were close by, we also could do our best.
Without you here, McDonald’s, thinking of the future fills us with sadness.
Selfish though it is for us to say this, everyone, please go to McDonald’s today.
Challenging ourselves to be as good as McDonald’s has been our goal, so with a smile, we say thank you.
That’s really sweet of Burger King, isn’t it? Sure, the phrasing might be a little stiff, but the sentiment is pure, right?
Not so fast. As pointed out in a reply to a tweet by @sato322, if you take another look at Burger King’s poster, there’s what seems to be a hidden message.
Let’s examine look at the start of each line:
● Our: 私たち
● Esteemed: たかいに良き
● because you were close by: ちかくにいたから
● Without: のいない
● Selfish: 勝手な
● Challenging ourselves:チャレンジャーの私たち
Take the first character of each of those, and you get:
Watashitachi no kachi, which means:
“Victory is ours.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6CEKphkOoQ
back to learning japanese
how do u tell when は is pronounced wa instead of ha? when its a particle okay but how do u know know? just from experience i guess?
勉強します ! (https://www.thecoli.com/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/krs.png)
also whats a kanji dictionary? i have a dictionary for my NDS called kanji sonomama something something and they say it doesnt have a kanji dictionary
i know, but i read on reddit some people were like oh its good for J-E and E-J J-J or whatever but it has no kanji dictionary i was like wut :doge
Absolutely not essential but if someone can elucidate the exact meaning of the following text... Automatic translation is "end of production" but I don't know if it means "Discontinued" or "Out of stock".
(https://i.imgur.com/BqsD4Hl.jpg)
Edit : In case it's not clear it's on a product page.
I enjoy KNOW sake bar in Shinjuku, and instead of Akiba I'd do Nakano Broadway. It's got that Bubble Era / nerdery vibe that's mostly gone from Akihabara these days.
As one might have guessed, any plan of visiting Japan this fall have now been moved. I think me and the boys will now target spring 2021.
I enjoy KNOW sake bar in Shinjuku, and instead of Akiba I'd do Nakano Broadway. It's got that Bubble Era / nerdery vibe that's mostly gone from Akihabara these days.
Chronovore, I was trying to locate KNOW and was unable to find it on Google maps. Would you happen to know the actual address? Or perhaps some kind of marker right by it?
Thanks
I don't understand. These are sold through Etsy, but only occasionally?
Found the Japanese store... I think ?
https://nishikie.stores.jp/?category_id=59326218428f2d5c9b01085a (https://nishikie.stores.jp/?category_id=59326218428f2d5c9b01085a)
Not sure they ship outside Japan on that platform.
https://youtu.be/csBr5pO_Gfk
Always fascinating to see various population shifts and the reasons behind them.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201118/p2a/00m/0na/016000cThe UK had a 50% off on restaurant bills scheme, with predictable results. Just give them the fucking stimulus.
Japanese government bit in the ass by poorly considered plan, film at 11.
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/l2iglx/man_arrested_for_buying_cup_meant_for_100_coffee/
Some hexagenarian put ¥200 coffee in the ¥100 coffee cup he’d purchased.
This is what counts as newsworthy crime in Japan.
I miss u chrono :'(
I'd like to visit Japan again and ask chrono where all the cool kids hangout.
Me and my friend who you met laugh about us asking you that question all the time. I don't know what we were thinking. :lol
Me and my friend who you met laugh about us asking you that question all the time. I don't know what we were thinking. :lol
:rofl
“Chrono, where can we dance until 5AM and meet the interesting locals?”
“Um, I’m 50 years old and married, my dudes. I have NO IDEA.”
I'd like to visit Japan again and ask chrono where all the cool kids hangout.
I can take you to where all the tasty food is, but I am at a loss for cool kids are.
Next month makes 3 years since that trip. I'd most likely be back in Japan this year if it wasn't for COVID. :(
We thought about going last year, before our daughter was born, but nope. Been five years since we were last there. Got a niece and nephew I've never met! :'(That sounds rough! I bet your wife is having a hard time.
Chrono, your fax machine stories are legend.I don’t even remember one of those, at the moment. I’ve plenty of inkan (“personal stamp”) stories for sure.
https://twitter.com/GearoidReidy/status/1372475146708000772
Pentagon, Washington (CNN)North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on Thursday, according to an intelligence assessment, a senior US official tells CNN.
It is not known yet whether the missiles were short, medium or long range, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The US military and intelligence community is still analyzing data from the test launch to determine what kind of missile was fired and how far it went.
The US tracks all North Korean weapons tests through radar and satellites, which are able to detect heat signatures of a missile launch almost immediately.
Earlier in the day, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that North Korea had launched unidentified projectiles toward the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
"South Korean military has strengthened its surveillance and maintaining readiness in close cooperation with the US," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
According to Japan's Defense Ministry, the projectile is likely to have landed outside Japanese territory and its exclusive economic zone. Japan's Coast Guard has warned ships to be on the lookout for falling debris.
The second test in less than a week
Last weekend, North Korea carried out its first weapons test since US President Joe Biden took office, according to three US officials, launching two projectiles in a move that senior administration officials downplayed as falling "on the low end of the spectrum" of provocations.
Officials and experts had anticipated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would attempt to send a message to the Biden administration about the country's importance in the region.
North Korea breaks silence to warn US against 'causing a stink'
In that test, one US official told CNN that North Korea had launched short-range projectiles, possibly artillery or cruise missiles, not ballistic missiles -- a key distinction underscored the Biden administration's view that it was not a serious breach and will not prevent the US from pursuing diplomacy with Pyongyang.
But in a statement to the Senate Armed Forces Committee on March 16, US Air Force General Glen VanHerck warned that the isolated regime could go further.
Pyongyang has "indicated that it is no longer bound by the unilateral nuclear and ICBM testing moratorium announced in 2018, suggesting that Kim Jong Un may begin flight testing an improved ICBM design in the near future," he said.
'When we practice attacking them, they practice nuking us'
A ballistic missile launch is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and "that's going to make it a little harder for the Biden people," said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, which specializes in open-source intelligence.
Lewis, who previously described the weekend's short-range launches as a "two" out of 10, told CNN on Wednesday evening that the new ballistic launches would be "more than a two."
But the launch wasn't entirely unexpected, coming days after the US Secretary of State and Defense Secretary visited the region and following a joint US-South Korea military exercise. "When we practice attacking them, they practice nuking us. that's just the yin and the yang of the thing," said Lewis.
Though it remains unclear whether exactly what kind of ballistic missile was launched, Lewis said it seemed unlikely to be the more powerful long-range missile.
"For really long range missiles, they tended to be picked up when they went up, and they stay aloft for 10-20 minutes. With the ICMBs, we heard about the launch before they came down, and that was a good give away," he said.
"This time, they went up and they came down."
This story is developing and will be updated.
Reporting contributed by CNN's Jake Kwon and Junko Ogura.
If they actually hit a target they'd immediately lose all their leverage.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-asia-56585658
:( >:(
...$80? What's the fucking point?
...$80? What's the fucking point?
I'm actually surprised the vaccination rate right now in Japan is so low. Is it because there wasn't a whole lot of covid to begin with, that vaccine rollout isn't a priority?There are anti-vaccers in Japan, but they are a tiny minority. Vaccinations are absolutely mandatory for most children across a broad range of illnesses. However, last Halloween I remember seeing a demonstration at Shinjuku station of people claiming that the virus was not real, and that vaccination was a trap.
Are there antivaxxers in Japan?
I'm actually surprised the vaccination rate right now in Japan is so low. Is it because there wasn't a whole lot of covid to begin with, that vaccine rollout isn't a priority?There are anti-VAX or‘s in Japan, but they are a tiny minority. Vaccinations are absolutely mandatory for most children across a broad range of illnesses. However, last Halloween I remember seeing a demonstration at Shinjuku station of people claiming that the virus was not real, and that vaccination was a trap.
Are there antivaxxers in Japan?
The problem is the Japanese government did not try and get ahead of the logistics of disseminating the vaccination, even when it was determined that special refrigerators would be needed, as well as syringes. Japan has a largely decentralized hospital system, and most of the smaller clinics that are common do not have refrigerators of the type needed to store the vaccine. In addition the types of phials in which it is distributed require a particular type of syringe, Japan was only to get five of six inoculations out of a single while until a clever nurse figured out a safe way to get the sixth dose out of it.
I had a 5.5 tatami sized apt. for $400 a month in Mitaka. That’s still 23 Ward region. No one could believe how cheap, despite the size.
I had a 5.5 tatami sized apt. for $400 a month in Mitaka. That’s still 23 Ward region. No one could believe how cheap, despite the size.
:o
And you're not a small guy. How the hell did you live in that?
I had a 5.5 tatami sized apt. for $400 a month in Mitaka. That’s still 23 Ward region. No one could believe how cheap, despite the size.
I had a 5.5 tatami sized apt. for $400 a month in Mitaka. That’s still 23 Ward region. No one could believe how cheap, despite the size.
I had a 5.5 tatami sized apt. for $400 a month in Mitaka. That’s still 23 Ward region. No one could believe how cheap, despite the size.
I lived in an even-smaller (I think?) sized dorm room, for a month, in Tokyo one summer. Nerima-ku IIRC. There were people who lived in them full-time for years. Couldn't even fathom it!
Edit: Found a video someone took!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JfhbPKhUBs
I had a 5.5 tatami sized apt. for $400 a month in Mitaka. That’s still 23 Ward region. No one could believe how cheap, despite the size.
I lived in an even-smaller (I think?) sized dorm room, for a month, in Tokyo one summer. Nerima-ku IIRC. There were people who lived in them full-time for years. Couldn't even fathom it!
Edit: Found a video someone took!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JfhbPKhUBs
That's both LARGER and BRIGHTER than the "apartment" I had. My kitchenette was the same size, but placed in the foyer/genkan. I had a single futon in there, and there was not room for a desk.
I guess it helps you become a more organized space-efficient person for the rest of your life?
My place in Japan was shitty, but it wasn't small. Was like living room + bedroom + small hall kitchen & bathroom. The bed in the bedroom was pretty gross and the carpet smelled funky so I just threw down a tatami in the living room and a small tv and just lived in one room space tho.
At least I was able to go to the one in Akihabara. :(
At least I was able to go to the one in Akihabara. :(
I still can’t believe I lived in Tokyo for a year and a half and didn’t manage to make it to the Kowloon themed arcade in Kawasaki before it closed. Still kicking myself over that.
I thought the borders were still closed to non-essential workers? Didn't think they ever lifted them, otherwise I would've made travel plans to visit. And if they're just going to keep shutting the borders for 6-12 months every time there's a new variant, I guess Japan will never have tourists again.
Terrible stuff :(https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_NzLs-xSss0&feature=share
I haven't really followed politics over there since Abe left.
I thought you guys were talking about a supply chain related problem, the shortages that started in 2016 were due to older problems where Japan did not understand the level of demand that Japanese single malts would generate. Then Chinese tourism took off, and every tour group coming over here was buying like crazy.
https://kotaku.com/japans-gundam-cafes-will-all-close-down-1847980155
:japancry
They're also all getting in on the NAS whiskys. It does lead to interesting stuff like the Glenfiddich experimental series.
https://kotaku.com/japans-gundam-cafes-will-all-close-down-1847980155
:japancry
Wanna go grab me another mug? I've got two (Fenex Gundam and Unicorn Gundam) but would love a third just because.
https://kotaku.com/japans-gundam-cafes-will-all-close-down-1847980155
:japancry
Wanna go grab me another mug? I've got two (Fenex Gundam and Unicorn Gundam) but would love a third just because.
I can’t promise I’ll get to Akiba again before they close. The Osaka one is Suita, nearly 2 hours away for me. :-\
https://kotaku.com/japans-gundam-cafes-will-all-close-down-1847980155
:japancry
Wanna go grab me another mug? I've got two (Fenex Gundam and Unicorn Gundam) but would love a third just because.
I can’t promise I’ll get to Akiba again before they close. The Osaka one is Suita, nearly 2 hours away for me. :-\
No worries! Didn’t realize the Osaka one is so far away.
https://kotaku.com/japans-gundam-cafes-will-all-close-down-1847980155
:japancry
Wanna go grab me another mug? I've got two (Fenex Gundam and Unicorn Gundam) but would love a third just because.
I can’t promise I’ll get to Akiba again before they close. The Osaka one is Suita, nearly 2 hours away for me. :-\
No worries! Didn’t realize the Osaka one is so far away.
It's further away than Minoh's brewery, and I still haven't made it out there. :-\ :'(
When your family comes out again, are you thinking Tokyo or Osaka this time?
http://twitter.com/HEISEI_love_bot/status/1493913475466543104
https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/comments/xjppp3/customer_service_in_japans_train_stations/
I liked this.
Flying into Narita in 3 weeks but hoping to go west to Kyoto/Osaka this time. Unfortunately it was short notice so I only have a week. Went in October 3 years ago but mostly stayed in the Tokyo area aside from a day trip to Nikko.
Any neighborhood(accommodation) and restaurant recommendations would be welcome! :)
2 minutes of google, and I'm more lost than when I began.
https://zubabababaaaan.com/
I think it's just the stuttery, fluttery onomatopoeia thing for bursts of speed or rumbling engines. I've never heard it before today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOYnjd99sfMIt took two years, but I'm a man of my word...QuoteThe Ashinoko Skyline, a private toll road in the city of Hakone plays the song when driven over at a constant speed.[14] The music is created from the vehicle's tires due to specially built tarmac surface.[15]:pika
I'm going full weeb when I go back.
https://fun2drive.co.jp/cars/
How long are you staying? I wish I had gotten to explore tokyo and do some thrift shopping at Hard-Off and gotten to try more restaurants and gimmick collabs though.
After 7-8 years, we were all set to head over to Japan this past weekend and then I tested positive for Covid.
:stahp
Rescheduled the trip for next month. Gonna be there for about three weeks. Most of the first week in Tokyo and then the remainder in my wife's prefecture hanging out. It's going to be a different experience with the kid coming along. Especially that plane flight.
Like that you're going next month, but dislike on your covid testing. Hopefully you don't get much in terms of symptoms. Glad you were able to just re-schedule for a month later though.
I’m here now. Maybe it’s best to wait a month. It is illegally hot. Never been here during peak summer but it’s late August and 34c. Come on, now.
I’m here now. Maybe it’s best to wait a month. It is illegally hot. Never been here during peak summer but it’s late August and 34c. Come on, now.
I’ll say, it’s amazing to see how common parasols and battery fans are. Prior to this, the closer to summer I’ve been was late May. Wasn’t that bad then.
Also, this is the first time I’ve gotten a proper sim/cell plan. It’s honestly embarrassing for my US plan. It’s regularly hitting 20mb/s
I’ll say, it’s amazing to see how common parasols and battery fans are. Prior to this, the closer to summer I’ve been was late May. Wasn’t that bad then.
Also, this is the first time I’ve gotten a proper sim/cell plan. It’s honestly embarrassing for my US plan. It’s regularly hitting 20mb/s
What kind of plan did you buy? I went and got an eSim from Holafly. It's supposed to be really good but is strictly data only and calls/texts don't count. Our plan is to use Line for calls and texts to get around this. I'm also gonna take my work phone (unlimited data pretty much anywhere) to use as a mobile hotspot.
I’m here now. Maybe it’s best to wait a month. It is illegally hot. Never been here during peak summer but it’s late August and 34c. Come on, now.
I’ll say, it’s amazing to see how common parasols and battery fans are. Prior to this, the closer to summer I’ve been was late May. Wasn’t that bad then.
Also, this is the first time I’ve gotten a proper sim/cell plan. It’s honestly embarrassing for my US plan. It’s regularly hitting 20mb/s
I’m here now. Maybe it’s best to wait a month. It is illegally hot. Never been here during peak summer but it’s late August and 34c. Come on, now.I’ll say, it’s amazing to see how common parasols and battery fans are. Prior to this, the closer to summer I’ve been was late May. Wasn’t that bad then.
Also, this is the first time I’ve gotten a proper sim/cell plan. It’s honestly embarrassing for my US plan. It’s regularly hitting 20mb/s
May is fine. It rains, but it’s still lovely weather.
The summers here are absolutely horrible. I managed to escape to the USA for a week and a month to look after my mother with dementia in Idaho. It’s hot there, but it’s dry, even when they get an “inversion.” When my mother traveled, she went all over the world. She never had a bad thing to say about anywhere. Africa, Egypt, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, France… everywhere. Not a bad word.
She came to Japan in July once and said, “I’m never coming back to Japan in summer.”
I went outside for a walk the other day, seemed fine until I got home, at which point the sweat jetted out of me like some anime VFX.
There’s a line about men how using parasols is new ish. What I’ve noticed, women use the handheld fans. Fellas use the neck cooler things. Don’t know what. But as a champion of fighting gender norms, I bought a fan.
I’ll note, bic specifically had a fan for men. It was square, black, and metal. Somethings I don’t understand.
https://twitter.com/thinking_panda/status/1696832338045681725
:lol
On fast internet, on a random cafe Wi-Fi, easily the fastest internet speeds I’ve ever experienced. 550+ mbps on fast.com. Even my home network hovers around 150-200.
If my laptop wasn’t huge, I’d bring it there to download Starfield. Or maybe get the full Mame set.
Chrono, how's the weather in Osaka? Getting any cooler?
Is TGS something I should even consider?
I went to Gamescom once about 15 years ago, when these things were somewhat notable, and didn’t care much for it. That’s my only experience with a gaming event convention deal.
Some cousins (adults and their teen children) are planning a trip to Japan for next summer and invited me to join. I'd love to visit again by any means necessary, but everything I've heard about Japan's summer heat/humidity has me worried. :dogeWe were blessed with rain yesterday and we briefly enjoyed 24°C weather overnight. First night without air conditioning in weeks. Now temps are climbing again, we expect 31-32°C just a few hours later.
Bebsy mentioned Kojima’s trailer - that’s one of the things that broke me. He won “Game of the Show” for a cinematic running on several PlayStation Tool units, and claimed it was running on PS hardware. Not consumer h/w mind you.
https://twitter.com/gosokkyu/status/1699690691511927265
This seems insane.
The video game videos that Yoshida got in trouble over are let’s play videos of Steins;Gate: My Darling’s Embrace. These videos contained spoilers for the whole game, as well as the ending. He also posted edited videos of the anime Spy x Family. Yoshida uploaded these videos onto YouTube and monetized them between September 2019 and May 2022. According to Yoshida, his “motive” for making the videos was that they are his hobby and he wanted someone to watch his work.
The copyright holders and the prosecution, however, claimed that Yoshida was negatively impacting their sales. Not only did he get money by streaming a copyrighted game, but he also took away potential sales. Because viewers already know what will happen, they might not want to actually purchase the game. The original article did not state how much monetization affected the copyright holders’ decision to sue.
Not seeing anything else in English at least. The original article: https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/230907z
So he violated copyright law just by streaming the game? :dizzy
Chrono, how's the weather in Osaka? Getting any cooler?
Saturday was not horrible, but Sunday was really hot, and today (Monday morning now) may get hotter. It’s 82°F/28°C and 88% humidity at 8am.
Every year, I wonder why I moved here. Insane.
They finally arrested that American streamer who goes around harrassing people
Yelling at people on a train about how he was going to Hiroshima them, blasting music, being innappropriate with passersby, etc. Basically being intentionally controversial in an attempt to piss people off and muster attention. And this is over the course of weeks.
Yelling at people on a train about how he was going to Hiroshima them, blasting music, being innappropriate with passersby, etc. Basically being intentionally controversial in an attempt to piss people off and muster attention. And this is over the course of weeks.
Yelling at people on a train about how he was going to Hiroshima them, blasting music, being innappropriate with passersby, etc. Basically being intentionally controversial in an attempt to piss people off and muster attention. And this is over the course of weeks.
I wonder what kind of sentence that will land him.
It's Johnny Somali.
Aside from the odd weather, spending prolonged time here has been very pleasant. Genuinely could see moving here longer term should the opportunity arise. I know of people who respond bitterly, that there’s a honeymoon phase, leave after two years or whatever. From what I gather, some of it is career related, and some of it is the outsiderness turning sour, partially self inflicted because they don’t bother learning the language or etiquette. Neither is of particular concern for me.
If there’s anything, maybe a space issue? Definitely wouldn’t want to be in Tokyo, but any of the cities, hear houses are compact compared to western cities. Always fantasized about having a modest home gym. When I look at the types of home gyms people built here, they shove the equipment in what looks like a walk in closet. It’s the low ceilings more than anything.
-Lack of good worldly food variety
-Summer mushiatsui humidity is miserable if you're in certain parts; winter is killer if you're in other parts (Aomori had perfect summers, but winter was being snowed in for 4-6 months)
-cost of living isn't too extreme coming from the USA (can be cheaper or more expensive depending on the lifestyle you're coming from in the USA)
-Driving is super expensive because of road tolls, but it's also really relaxing because there's a lot fewer people on the road. Also completely optional due to the great public transportation.
If you're enjoying it, stick with it if you can visa-wise.
I balanced the pros & cons and didn't stick around long-term and idk, maybe that was the wrong decision. I wonder where my life would've gone if I stayed in Japan.
I'd totally buy a cheap rural house and move to Japan to retire except...visa. I run my own business so I can't just get a job at a Japanese company to sponser me.
From my limited experience having lived in the boonies (Aomori) and suburbs (Nagoya) and a lot of tourist trips to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka/Nagana and tourist sites, the main cons of living in Japan are:
-Lack of friends/family who are out of the country
-Lack of good worldly food variety
-Summer mushiatsui humidity is miserable if you're in certain parts; winter is killer if you're in other parts (Aomori had perfect summers, but winter was being snowed in for 4-6 months)
-Politics suck and are very conserative right-wing and always getting worse and more anti-foreigner (if you're white this doesn't effect you as much, but if you're non-white foreigner, it definitely can).
Pros are:
-very clean safe country
-amazing transportation
-people are pretty friendly
-food types that do exist are amazing and much higher quality food than you get in the states for example
-incredibly scenic nature always within reach
-cost of living isn't too extreme coming from the USA (can be cheaper or more expensive depending on the lifestyle you're coming from in the USA)
Neutral:
-Dating-pool wise you are very limited to dating Japanese people. This can be a pro or con depending on how you feel about the Japanese dating culture. This is less of a thing if you're already married by the time you move over.
-If you have tattoos, at least when I lived there it was still a lot of stigma, though I hear this is getting better and more accepted all the time
-Driving is super expensive because of road tolls, but it's also really relaxing because there's a lot fewer people on the road. Also completely optional due to the great public transportation.
Having lived in a small city (Kanazawa) and out in the sticks (Nakanotomachi)--Summer mushiatsui humidity is miserable if you're in certain parts; winter is killer if you're in other parts (Aomori had perfect summers, but winter was being snowed in for 4-6 months)
No central heating and air in homes is such a killer.
:stahp
I think in a lot of ways, whatever weeaboo fantasies that existed were entirely gone during my first trip. Within five minutes of going to Akihabara with friends, it was like wow this sucks. The few times I went back because friends wanted to see it, my opinion hasn't changed. So whatever outlook I have has been what it is, rather than what I wanted it to be.
A little jealous. The only areas I like now are the small shops to buy bespoke electronic parts. Couple streets past the maids and other weirdness.
On arcades, last I went taito hey was still pretty good but too crowded. Natsuge museum moved next to Mikado in Takadanobaba and focused in on pre-90s machines. Everything else around Akihabara is done or are standard crane/music/gundam spots. It is what it is. Even pre covid they were vanishing. The kawasaki warehouse was the greatest even if it was out of the way.
I celebrated being American by having a regular hamburger at the local McDonalds. I celebrated being in Japan by having the Garlic and Black Pepper McNuggets with Garlic Chili sauce. I could also have had the Camembert Cheese sauce, but opted for what passes as maximum flavor at McD's.
The only comparable experience I have is with Denny’s, and it’s a stock family restaurant here versus the chain breakfast diner in the states.
| (https://i.imgur.com/tIE0JoC.jpg) | (https://i.imgur.com/AwUzT7w.jpg) |
Gomi-Pit Bar (Waste-Pit Bar) is a temporary cocktail bar set up within a waste disposal facility as part of an initiative aimed at boosting awareness of environmental issues and waste disposal. Patrons came to enjoy the strange experience of tasting local beer and cocktails — made using honey-soaked mushrooms or locally harvested vegetables — while taking in the sight of garbage being sorted and prepared for incineration.
Been browsing some apartments/houses. Why does it feel the ultimate sign of luxury here is having two toilets. Not even two full bathrooms. There are some relatively large 4LDK going for several million USD… only one toilet. Some have more balconies than toilets.
I had a 5-tatami apartment in Mitaka for 6 months. The toilet and shower both occupied a 1m^2 footprint. The foyer/genkan also had its "kitchen" in it: a single electrical burner sitting on top of a mini-fridge, and a mini-microwave. Basically all stacked, half-in, half-out of the genkan's step-up. Literally possible to misstep and fall.
These places you've posted make all that look utterly sane.
I’d like to think I could manage. But also think I’m lying to myself when the nearest reference was a college dorm over a decade ago.
On size and space, back home after months of using a 15 inch laptop screen. My 27 inch monitor has become overwhelming. I missed being able to multitask and zoom out.
Also doing a little math on my desktop cost and comparable components over there. Relatively trivial to build another desktop sans GPU. So, and this may be stupid, I’ll just travel with the GPU. The GPUs I’m eying are costlier than every other component combined.
Think I’m way too picky to find my ideal laptop. Size, noise, cost, power, heat, etc. in the end it’s somehow more cost effective to build a desktop and get a new 14” laptop. Maybe not right away.
Recently I took my desktop PC in to a repair shop. I was pretty sure the problem with it was the main SSD (and it was) and they cloned the drive and put a new one in for me.
Was without the desktop for a few days. Not a big deal since my daily driver is another laptop anyway, but while the desktop wasn't there, I decided to try my Blade 14 on my OLED TV. I've only ever used 4K devices on it- The Blade is made for 2K gaming. But you know what? It looked and ran great at 1440P on the TV! It scaled so well that I couldn't even see a difference versus 4K. Changed my whole outlook on things. I don't think I'd need say, a 4090 if I were to only have a laptop in my setup- the 4070 in this 14" laptop is fantastic and I'm continuously blown away by how well everything runs on it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ImTheMainCharacter/comments/1b26699/main_character_teaching_us_how_to_ride_the_train/
Another idiot with a camera getting himself in trouble.
Even making cringe-at-cringe is still ultimately cringe.
Talked about how bad Akihabara was months ago. It’s worse now. So much worse. It’s like shibuya scramble everywhere. I can’t imagine how bad those areas are.
Although while looking at keyboards I saw new signs in multiple languages saying “please don’t take key caps” ???
For better or worse I’m going to be in Tokyo for a couple years. Thankfully a quiet area, to the confusion of everybody I’ve talked to. On occasion I need to go to Shibuya for work stuff during the week, which to be blunt, makes me want to die. Otherwise a nice setup. Peaceful.
Really need to focus in on learning the language properly. Had a moment where I wanted to buy carrots and didn’t know the word. Then I remembered the Ninjin Loves You Yeah jingle from Macross Frontier and felt deep shame. But I enjoyed the shockingly large carrots they sell here.
“Already 27°C…”
Buckle up, buttercup.
A regular sight this past month: signs saying “please don’t sit on steps and block path,” in multiple languages, about two feet away from a group sitting on steps blocking the path.
Think Japan is the only place that would make corn flavored protein powder to go with their cheese cracker flavored protein bars.
Yup, this is correct.
It's just July's first week.
August is worse, yo.
A haiku response for your Japanese summer.
I had a walk at 08:30 yesterday, thinking it would be the last good weather of the day. But after lunch, it still seemed pretty decent, so I went for a walk to the convenience store to get a snack — 500m out, I realized:
:ive_made_a_terrible_mistake.gif
The humidity is at 80% so any more than that and we will have to swim.
Had a visitor from abroad about a week or two ago and they were dying. Coming off of months in the mid 30s, the low 30s or even high 20s felt downright pleasant. Mostly survived the summer. I can say that. For next year I’m already planning an extended time away for July.
I can’t remember where I read it, but I recall reading that Covid changed airplane air circulation policy to return to the type of air circulation from when smoking was allowed on planes. When flights went no-smoking, they were able to recirculate more air, which of course circulates the virus. By returning to greater air circulation and discharging More air it remains cleaner.
It would be great to see you again here in Japan. I hope you can figure it out!
If you’re doing the typical flying into Haneda, train to Shinagawa, the crowds are excessive and packed together. Every time I need to pick someone up or drop them off, it’s a lot. Too much. More than once I’d get a call saying “we landed” and two hours later “we’re just grabbed our luggage.”
In general I’d say if there were any areas you remember being crowded in the past, imagine at least double that.
During one of the times I had to hang around Haneda, I took the shuttle to Terminal 2 to kill some time. It’s the “Place… Place, Japan!” meme, but it was novel for me to see how normal and quiet it was compared to the international airports I deal with.
Nicest part of Haneda is the outdoors deck where you can watch planes. Spent much time waiting around there. Especially lately when going indoors you have hear the awful new Don Quijote song.
Don Quijote is a sensory overload on almost every level.
Visually, the combination of narrow isles packed with promotional signs in front of every label known to man, being lit, harshly by fluorescent lights, that’s already too much for me.
Combine with the personal space problems endemic to foreign tourists in narrow Japanese spaces, brushing against me, and we have a non-starter.
I never go into Don Quijote if I can avoid it.
The DonKi in Shinjuku was moderately crowded most of the time. The one in Osaka's Shinsaibashi district is not navigable due to the customers, mostly non-residents. The closest one to me in south Osaka where I live is nowhere near a train station or anything interesting, and never has much of a crowd. Still built the same ridiculous way though.Don Quijote is a sensory overload on almost every level.
Visually, the combination of narrow isles packed with promotional signs in front of every label known to man, being lit, harshly by fluorescent lights, that’s already too much for me.
Combine with the personal space problems endemic to foreign tourists in narrow Japanese spaces, brushing against me, and we have a non-starter.
I never go into Don Quijote if I can avoid it.
Can't say I ever really had a problem going there and found some good stuff sometimes too. But these are stores in ishikawa and I have no idea if they're more low-key or not
Was talking to a cute Japanese goth girl last night, is Blackpink really "the Beatles of South Korea"?? How come i've never heard of them beforeThey are the Spice Girls of South Korea.
The DonKi in Shinjuku was moderately crowded most of the time. The one in Osaka's Shinsaibashi district is not navigable due to the customers, mostly non-residents. The closest one to me in south Osaka where I live is nowhere near a train station or anything interesting, and never has much of a crowd. Still built the same ridiculous way though.Don Quijote is a sensory overload on almost every level.
Visually, the combination of narrow isles packed with promotional signs in front of every label known to man, being lit, harshly by fluorescent lights, that’s already too much for me.
Combine with the personal space problems endemic to foreign tourists in narrow Japanese spaces, brushing against me, and we have a non-starter.
I never go into Don Quijote if I can avoid it.
Can't say I ever really had a problem going there and found some good stuff sometimes too. But these are stores in ishikawa and I have no idea if they're more low-key or not
I feel like I should try an actual language course. Self learning… I’m not terrible at understanding. Trying to communicate back is another story. I can get by, but anything resembling a conversation is embarrassing.
With reading, I haven’t bothered touching kanji yet. That feels insurmountable.
Does anybody else experience an inability to eat American sized portions after some time here?
Maybe it’s an aging thing, but it feels a little pathetic. I’m letting down my country.
Does anybody else experience an inability to eat American sized portions after some time here?
Maybe it’s an aging thing, but it feels a little pathetic. I’m letting down my country.
There’s also the issue of very poor accessibility for the differently abled. Plenty of places I’ve been are stairs only. And quite often train stations make the elevator a hassle to get to. Walk an extra two blocks to the station exit with an elevator. At least twice a week I find myself helping some lady with her luggage going up or down stairs so they don’t hurt themselves.
There’s also the issue of very poor accessibility for the differently abled. Plenty of places I’ve been are stairs only. And quite often train stations make the elevator a hassle to get to. Walk an extra two blocks to the station exit with an elevator. At least twice a week I find myself helping some lady with her luggage going up or down stairs so they don’t hurt themselves.
Before there was a bullet train going to Ishikawa prefecture, there was a station you had to change trains at when going to/coming from Tokyo. It was notorious for having this huge staircase you had to climb to get to the next train. It was always a nightmare hauling luggage up there, plus you had to hurry because you only had a few minutes to get to the other train. So glad that's no longer a problem. I can't see us having made that other train had we had to take that route when we were last there with multiple suitcases and a three year-old!
I heard on a travel podcast that if a restaurant doesn't want a foreigner they'll use a 'X' hands gesture (while politely smiling). This person is quite girthy and said this occurred multiple times when going around with his equally fat friends, but when going with his attractive wife he said they'd go out of their way to make space available.
Reading about this 'X' gesture it seems it can also signify they're full/booked but some say it's also just if they can't be bothered with you. Stories from this thread do make it sound like some places have had enough with tourists.