Topic: Japan Discussion

I have the NHK World app, enjoy it, and was wondering if anyone else knows of any other apps that have programming about Japan or Japanese culture?

You know you're having a slow day when you watch an hour long documentary on the success of Hello Kitty

I knew it was a popular kids brand, but I didn't know they targeted adults as well (the Hello Kitty line of wine in Europe came as a surprise).

Yes actually hello kitty is very popular with adults they have some VERY ADULT RELATED stuff

Just watched Cool Japan.

The topic was sushi, so there isn't much in the way of discussion (I'm sure we all know plenty about it), but one thing was new to me. The Herring roe used in Herring roe sushi is usually imported from Denmark (Japan's Herring catch has been low since the 1950's, but Denmark has an abundance of the fish, and they generally don't use the roe for anything).

The hosts were introduced with the opening theme music from Cowboy Bebop (anime), which was totally random and awesome.

Japan is great to visit, but I sure wouldn't want to live there.

Went there twice. It's reallllly safe there, even in the red light districts.

Really crowded, especially in the trains (ugh).

The department stores there are amazing, most spanning more than 10 floors with everything under the sun inside. The top floors are always restaurants and the bottom floors are massive food halls. I think the European food halls are better though. There's even buildings with nothing but restaurants inside. There's restaurants EVERYWHERE.

Subways are all connected underground and it's virtually its own town. There's stores and restaurants down there too!

Japan's fruit prices are out of this world! Seriously! An APPLE costs 10 bucks or more! A MELON costs a hundred!!!!

I've taken a lot of photos while I was there. Got loads of food photos. Mmmmm. They don't allow you to take photos inside the food halls. Too bad.

Here's a photo of the statue of Hachiko, the famous Akita. He always waited at Shibuya station at a specific time to greet his owner, a professor, when he came home from work. One day, the professor died at the university and never came home. Hachiko remained at the station for a further 9 years, waiting for his owner to return. After his death, a statue of Hachiko was erected to honor his loyalty.

If you guys want to see all my trip photos (and not just Japan), check it out here:
http://photobucket.com/mytripphotos
Urm, don't mind the Dragon's Dogma screenshots on the front page. The links are all on the right. There's oodles of subfolders within each section (also on the right) as well.

One special folder you should visit is in the Netherlands trip at Keukenhof Gardens, the largest flower garden in the world with seven million flower bulbs planted annually, covering 32 hecatres. There's 220 photos in there alone.

Wow, lame. You can't see the full sized images of the photos I've posted. Says 'try again later.' Booo! They're fine on my webpage though.

Thanks for the info, photos, and links!

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Hello Kitty is hardly a kid's brand.

It's only in the west where cute = for kids. In Japan cute is often marketed directly at adults. Hello Kitty is the perfect example.

See also: Chi's Sweet Home, My Melody, Mamegoma, Rillakuma, and any number of other cute characters.

Japan is great to visit, but I sure wouldn't want to live there.

If I could get an English-speaking journalist job there, I would move in a heartbeat. Japan is incredible.

Really crowded, especially in the trains (ugh).

They might be crowded, but they are also fast, efficient, clean, and the people who use them are quiet and polite.

All of that makes Japanese trains an order of magnitude better than any trains I've caught in Australia, the US, Canada, England... let alone the developing world.

I gotta respect their manners. Wish it was like this everywhere else.

Just watched J-Melo. They were talking about the concept of "kawaii" (cute) culture, and how it has affected the world of Japanese music groups (Morning Musume was declared the most kawaii group, as well).

@LollipopChoSaw, sorry for the ignorance on the whole matter of Hello Kitty. I've never given the brand much thought before watching the program

I feel sad everytime I travel out of Canada. All the other cities I've been to with their own subway systems manage their transportation system faaaaaaaaaaaar better my own city : / Toronto's transport system is utterly horrible : /

I don't like Japan's work ethics. Too much stress and stuff. Nothing wrong with the people though.

I'm thinking of a job to get there, maybe English teacher, but IDK what type of job I should get

Itadakimatsu! Dining With the Chef was on today.

They made Omuraisu (a rice omelette). It looked pretty good, but I could do without the peas, lol.

Journeys in Japan was on today. the Ogasawara Islands were the destination today. They are the fourth place in Japan to be listed as a World Heritage Site (just one month ago). The islands are about 1000 kilometers south of Tokyo, and are only reachable through a 25.5 hour long boat trip. Only two of the 30-something islands are inhabited. Only one of the two inhabited islands, Chichijima, was visited in the episode.

Ogasawara Maru. This is the ocean liner that connects mainland Japan to the islands. Since the trip is so long (25.5 hours), passengers have to sleep onboard, and there are various activities (restaurants, bars, movies, ect.).

The host visited the island's shop district, primarilary the local supermarket. A ship from Tokyo only comes in once a week, so shoppers rush in on that day to get their shopping done. Residents also get a week's worth of news papers at once.

Dolphin Swimming is a very popular activity for tourists in the area (one of the few areas in the world you can swim with wild dolphins). There are two types of dolphins in the waters (the Indo-Pacific dolphins, which like to interact with humans, and the Spinner dolphins, which are are more wary of humans, but can still be watched). As to not put pressure on the wild dolphins, there are rules on how many boats can approach them at a time. Whale sightings are also common (Humpback Whale sightings between February and April. Sperm Whale sightings from early summer to autumn).

You have to set up accommodation in a hotel or guest house before you go, because camping is prohibited across the islands. The guesthouse featured in this episode had it's baths on the veranda (while still private, it lets you have nature around you while you relax). The proprietor also provides meals, which are local variations on traditional Japanese dishes (one even involving a hibiscus flower). Looked quite good

This was actually part one, of a two part special, with the next episone airing next week. The area looks incredibly beautiful.

Was watching Mapping Kyoto Streets. They were showcasing some imperial garden, and it looked beautiful, but then the app disconnected from the server.

I did email them (NHK World) about the issue, so that's a plus (My first email sent to Japan!).

The app was working again, so I was able to catch Tokyo Eye. They showed how to make small talk with Tokyoites.

The most key phrase you'll want to know is chotto sumimasen (excuse me). That will get the attention of most people, and they'll make the best possible effort to communicate with you, even in english if need be (most Tokyoites, especially young people, know English, as they have to learn it. They also don't get many chances to use it, so they enjoy helping out tourists, as long as you're willing to learn a little Japanese, as most will shy away if you go directly in speaking English). If you're trying to get directions, it's best to know the name of your destination as well.

They said one of the best places to start up conversations is Harajuku, as the fasion conscious people in the area want to get attention. Compliments like kakkoii, kirei, and kawaii will do wonders in breaking the ice. After you have broken the ice, most will even be willing to take a photo with you (to ask, say shashin ii desu ka?). It is also easier to approach a group instead of a single person.

English language free papers are also great places to look when wanting to meet new people, as events are listed where foreigners and Japanese interested in overseas culture can gather.

Other great places to try and start conversations are Akihabara if you're into the anime scene, Ginza, or Sugamo (like Harajuku for the older crowd, although the people here may just be the most willing to start a conversation).

By far though, small izakaya (Japanese bar/pub) are the best places to go, as everyone's in a friendly mood. Order some local drinks such as Shochu or Umeshu, and you'll fit right in. Most Japanese will feel the most at ease in a place like this, making conversation easy.

The ended by explaining that most Tokyoites are interested in foreign culture and would love to talk to you as foreign visitors aren't as common in Tokyo in comparison to other large cities like New York or London, but they're usually shy about starting a conversation with foreigners. If you start the conversation though (with just one or two simple Japanese phrases), it's very easy to have friendly conversations.

Watched Imagine-Nation tonight.

They had a special guest, Mamoru Hosada, the director of such anime as Gegege no Kitaro, The Girl Who Leapt through time, Summer Wars, and the newly released Wolf Children. Wolf Children follows a woman who falls in love with a wolf man, and chronicles 13 years in which their two children grow. They went behind the scenes of the film, and it was discussed that he wanted the backgrounds a little darker in this film, to coincide with the fact that the family has a secret to hide.

I've never saw any of his movies before, but I want to now. They seem to have that kind of magic Miyazaki films have.

Great Gear was on tonight. Usually the show doesn't interest me too much, but tonight they went to a Tokyo Toy fair.

They had hand cranked remote control cars, that don't require batteries (one was even a Pikachu).

There was a toy smartphone targeted at girls (by SEGA). It is set up like a real smartphone, but only has built in programs (some games, a camera, and a few other bells and whistles).

they showed off these little fighting robots. up to 20 can fight at once. They are used with motion sensors that look suspiciously like a Wii remote & nunchuck (one controller is long, while there is a smaller crescent shaped one connected to it).

There were also fish Robots, which would swim around an aquarium, and looked increadibly real.

they had a remote controlled helicopter that has a light cage built around it, so the blades wont get damaged in a crash (making it safe for indoor use).

For the older members of the family, they had a foam producing mug. Pull a lever on the handle, and fresh foam will layer the top of your beer.

There were numerous pet toys compatible with smartphones, including Wappy dog, Iso dog, and by far the most ingenious, the smartphone pet. the smartphone pet has a dog shaped body, but you insert your smartphone to be the head (the face is on the screen, will recognize when you pet it due to the touch screen, and has numerous expressions).

Toyota even introduced a compact car for children. To suit childrens' creativity, the body is very customizable, and doesn't require tools to change. Yes, this is a real (albiet small) car, that functions like any other.

Japan is okay, but China rocks!

China ftmfw!