24
500 yen
7-11
88
abalone
aging population
allegheny college
allergy
Ameagari no yozora ni
asakusa
baru
Beach
beiju
birthday
black and white
bookstores
Brasserie Bec
Carpenters
cedar pollen
cellphone
Chikara Saito
Chinese Lantern Plant
chorus
colorful
conservation
construction
conti et mer
Convenience
culture
cutie honey
dai-ichi life
delivery
DIY
Doki-doki Camp
doppler
Drop
drugstore
earthquake
eiken
elections
emergency house
Emperor Meiji
English
Engrish
evacuation area
experiment
Facebook
fiberglass mascot
Folk
food
free
freespot
French
Gadgets
gaijin
Gargling
George Kano
Getting Around
glasses
glenn wurst
global warming
Goroawase
Gov't of Japan
gumisawa totsuka
Gyaru
haiku
hay fever
Health
hinanjo
hiroo
Hitotsu Yane no Shita
Horror
hozuki
humor
Humoresque
Ichiro Ozawa
imamiya
Imperial
Informa
Insurance
Interpretation
intestines
iphone
iPhone Case
Isojin
Italian
Jack Bauer
japan
Japan Holidays
Japan Rail
Japanese
japanese tv
JR
kafunsho
Kakaki
Kakuei Tanaka
kamakura
kamogawa
kamogawa-kan
Kanako Yanagihara
Kazuo Zaitsu
kenkoshindan
kinataro-ame
kinokuniya
kintaro
Kiosk
Kiyoshiro Imawano
Koji Suzuki
Language
leisure
living
Living in Japan
local shop
Lockheed
Manners Posters
Marine Day
maruzen
matsuri
megane drug
metro
Mezamashi TV
MHLW
miniskirt
Mixi
mizkan
monochrome
Music
Musicians
Nakamise
New Years
newbie
NHK
nihonjinron
niigata
nissan figaro
no smoking
nobiru
novartis
Ocean
Odakyu Line
omikuji
One Coin
Oshogatsu
OTC drugs
PAL
passions
photography
pillars
poetry
ponyo
post office
prime minister
proficiency
Pronunciation
Ray-Out
restaurants
retro
Reunion
Review
RIP
robataya
roppongi
RT-P1LC4/B
ryokan
Saboten no Hana
Salaryman Neo
Salaryman Taiso
sandwiches
sarasen
satire
School Songs
Seashore
Senryu
senryuu
settai
Shinjuku
shishamo
signage
siren
smoke-free
snow
SNS
softbank
sound
Sousuke Kawamoto
spectacles
Street Jazz
Street Performers
subway
suica
Swine Flu
tapas
Thierry de Baillon
Toilet Paper
tokyo
Tokyo Metro
Tokyo Rail and Subway Map
tokyo university
totsuka
Trains
Trends
Tulip
Twitter
Ugai
Umi no Hi
uniqueness
us military fukaya communications base
Vendor
vinegar
virgin adventures
Vollmer Design
wanseg
waterless urinal
Welcome
wicket
wifi
wired
wireless
yaesu book center
yakuza ramen
Yoyogi-Uehara
yuuri
zaditen
zoff
zushi
キオスク
レイアウト
ワン コイン
人間ドック
海の日

Archives:


Japan and Its People are Unique

Thu, Jun 25 2009 15:06 | kafunsho, intestines, culture, humor, uniqueness, snow, Japanese, nihonjinron, japan, hay fever | Permalink
At least that is what they tell me! I like Japan and have had some interesting, enjoyable and indeed unique experiences here, otherwise I would not have stayed in this country since 1987. But over the years, I've had an earful of people telling me directly or indirectly how unique Japan and its people are, and I've had to burst more than one person's bubble. Sometimes incorrectly. A couple examples
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments (11)

"Gyaru-go" Girl Japanese

Tue, Jun 23 2009 08:07 | culture, Gyaru, Language, Japanese | Permalink
Mezamashi TV had a segment on the lastest gyaru language. If you're not familiar, gyaru are the sort of schoolgirls who hang out in Shibuya or Harajuku, dress in the latest fashion and speak in a sort of code. Here's the three I remember: ムカTK mukaTK - mukatsuku, to be pissed off. The original's just as easy, ladies. モレる moreru - um, to be dressed up, with your hair in a bun with cute
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Bribe Desserts are Just Sour

Fri, Mar 13 2009 20:42 | settai, culture, Lockheed, mizkan, vinegar, Kakuei Tanaka, Ichiro Ozawa | Permalink
Since the Lockheed scandal brought Kakuei Tanaka down in the late 1970's, Japan has seen many and varied incidents, their occurrence only escalating in recent years. Even the Tanaka protege Ichiro Ozawa, who has been stressing a (rather two-faced) populist agenda of late, is now tainted by a bribe scandal via a top aide accused of taking corporate donations. Ozawa san, so much for that "for the people"
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Beiju - 88th Birthday

Sat, Oct 18 2008 18:17 | beiju, culture, 88, birthday | Permalink
In Japan, a person's 88th birthday is called "beiju" and is a special celebration where yellow- or gold-colored gifts are given. The "bei" of beiju comes from the three kanji characters for eight "八", ten "十", and eight "八", or "hachijuu-hachi" (88), which combined together form the character kome, or rice "米". You can see one eight flipped upside-down on the top, the other on the bottom, and
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Support the Local Stores - Imamiya

Mon, Oct 13 2008 22:14 | local shop, culture, imamiya, japan | Permalink
This is our local store "Imamiya", which is not as cheap as the local giant chain, but has a certain charm. It has been in business for quite a long time, but recently seems like it is a little bit run down. These places get driven out of business by the big guys, so I like to shop there when I can. Support your local store!
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Japanese Evacuation Centers are Well-Marked

Mon, Oct 13 2008 15:11 | us military fukaya communications base, culture, evacuation area, japan, earthquake, hinanjo | Permalink
Japan is obviously prone to earthquakes, so there are designated evacuation areas or "hinanjo" here and there, usually in parks or stadiums (stadia?). This one says it is down in the US Military Fukaya Communications Base "tsushintai" in Japanese under the words "EVACUATION AREA". If you live here, keep and eye out for these markers, because that is where most people will proceed in the event of a
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Kintaro-ame by anzyAprico on Flickr

Fri, Oct 10 2008 14:37 | culture, kintaro, kinataro-ame, japan | Permalink
This is typical Kintaro-ame next to kompeito. Originally uploaded to Flickr by anzyAprico
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

"Kintaro Ame" Chopstick Stand at Robataya

Fri, Oct 10 2008 11:31 | roppongi, robataya, culture, kintaro, japan | Permalink
Went to Robataya in Roppongi last night, and got this shot of some ceramic chopstick stands that look like "Kintaro-ame" candy. Kintaro's the guy on the right, and he is said to be Sakata no Kintoki, a Heian Period samurai. There is a traditional story about him that Japanese children learn, in which Kintaro, born with great strength, goes on to conquer a group of "oni" or demons. Kintaro-ame is a
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Brush Me Sign

Sun, Jan 20 2008 21:01 | culture, signage, japan | Permalink
This sign on a door says "brush me" or "touch me" - "furete kudasai". Little sensors near the sign on the door frame respond to your light touch, and the door opens. I must have some kind of special gaikokujin aura, because I can never get the things to work - I have to literally touch the sensor itself and not just the sign. The newfangled Japan Rail touchpads on the ticket machines don't work for
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Baru Tapas in Hiroo, Tokyo

Fri, Jan 18 2008 10:18 | culture, baru, tapas, restaurants, japan | Permalink
Baru is a great Tapas place in Tokyo's Hiroo district between Tengenji and Platinum Street. Great Tapas and wine, and it is always packed with good-looking ladies (unless a certain Jason is there :). The master is a personable guy, who speaks a little English and a little Spanish. Go. You won't regret it.
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments (2)

Jack, Anna, Phil and Rick Tour Kamakura

Fri, Jan 18 2008 09:56 | omikuji, culture, kamakura, japan | Permalink
Jack, Anna (pictured), Phil and I tried our hand at "omikuji" at the big Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in Kamakura. Omikuji are fortunes that you draw by shaking a box of numbered sticks, the number corresponding to a white piece of paper with the fortune written on it. You can pray to improve your fortunes by folding and tying the omikuji paper onto a contraption shrines have, with horizontal wires.
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments

Kodomo Hyakutouban no Ie - "Kids' Emergency House"

Tue, Jan 15 2008 23:25 | culture, emergency house | Permalink
Neighborhoods in Japan have people join the "Kids' Emergency House" network, and affix these signs to their gates. If a child is in trouble, they are taught in school that they can go to a house designated this way, for help.
Read More....
Rick Cogley
Comments
Older Posts...