I am a child of the '80s, and in large part as a consequence, I really love synthpop. (If you're unfamiliar with the genre, the Eurythmics' song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is the archetypal example.) I don't actually own much of it, though. It hasn't been all that popular in the US since, well, the '80s. Complicating the matter is that ( Read more... )

I saw an article on the Daily Yomiuri today: Kan Selects New Cabinet; 11 Keep Posts. (Some background info: Japan has just designated her sixth prime minister in as many yearsAfter reading most of the first sentence, "Prime Minister-elect Naoto Kan has tapped Koichiro Gemba to be state minister in charge of civil service reform and the declining ( Read more... )

Mamachari Bōsōzoku would be an awesome name for a Japanese indie band ( Read more... )

You know, I think most of us would have a similar reaction.

Perhaps today's entry on Engrish is taken from this same manga? I haven't looked at the Wiki article provided in the first link, so...

The title is much more fitting than you'd really expect it to be for, well, anything at all.

Click to view

Informal poll: How many of you would consider that to be a successful ad?

A week or two ago, I went to Ikea with Haruko, and as we were leaving, we discovered that we share a curious trait, one that begs a certain question be asked:

Why do both of us balk at putting $1.50 into a vending machine for Vitamin Water, but happily pop ¥150 into a vending machine for Vitamin Water?

There are some mysteries in life, no?

I had three experiences on trains while on my recent trip to Japan that were distinctly colored by my being foreign.

Adventure 1: I was on a train by myself, returning from an evening out with Haesung (and earlier, Mitsu as well) somewhere between Nakamozu and Izumigaoka on the Semboku Rapid Railway when an obese Japanese man sitting next to me ( Read more... )

I was going to write a short essay about intercultural friendships for this week's vídeo. That has been put on hold, because before searching for the video to accompany said short essay, I first checked my YouTube subscriptions, and in doing so, uncovered a question that I have yet to adequately answer:

Can anyone please explain to me why on earth ( Read more... )

OMG, I just saw Bob Sapp on American Television. What is the world coming to?

Man, that move wore me out completely. I'm still tired. In part, yes, that I'm still exhausted is due to the fact that I've had trouble sleeping; why precisely I haven't a clue ( Read more... )