No problem! Unfortunately, my iPod's on the fritz, so I haven't been able to use it the past couple of months.

One of our local TV stations shows a couple hours of their programming a day though (for whatever reason), so I still get to watch most of what I want (it's also how I found out about the app in the first place).

J-Melo was on tonight!

It was a repeat (the episode that featured BENI & Crystal Kay).

No, nothing has changed. And actually most countries are the same way. Americans tend to think that things like deportation and long lines at immigration offices never apply to them, but immigration standards are pretty strict no matter where you go. A country is not going to just let a random foreigner into the country for no reason, especially when they don't speak the language and have no idea how their countries immigration policies work. And, no, you keep thinking that there's some way around the fact that the job market has collapsed and I'm telling you that having a degree and qualifications is the ONLY way you'll have any sort of chance.

And no, even if you try for some random job like Starbucks (which I already said part-time type jobs don't sponsor working visas to foreigners), you would need near perfect Japanese speaking ability to get a job like that. What other way do you think there is.

Harmoknight, there's more to Japan that chasing after random Japanese girls and reading manga. How are you sure you'd even like it here? Its a very politically complex country and really hard to assimilate into, even for a foreigner that speaks near-perfect Japanese. Can't you just be happy starting off with maybe a 1-2 week visit? Don't jump the gun here.

@Wingedfish Hmm, I don't really frequent too many English language websites other than this one, so I don't get asked these kinds of questions so often (fortunately). Its quite obvious that the internet Japan and real Japan are two very different things, and many anime otaku kids I see coming here for visits actually get quite disappointed when they see how tame and sensible Japan really is compared to their wild fantasies. That being said, there are commercials I would call "quirky", but nothing that I would ever call weird or crazy. I actually agree with @Jon_Talbain on the German commercials, and add Italy to that list. I've seen some really off-beat commercials from those two countries. Though, I have to say, and maybe I'm just being biased since I'm culturally Japanese-skewed quite a bit, when I went back to the States for a bit to save money for this job last year, I didn't understand half the commercials on TV that I saw. Its like the culture ran away from what I knew it to be. I feel the same way about American stand-up comedy, I just don't get it. Its so blunt, and sarcastic, and in-your-face, which is the total opposite of the culture here.

Be prepared to eat your words.

Note: This is most probably not safe for work.

So ... this is a commercial for plastic surgery?

Yo where's ma fried chicken

@ziLToiD No, its a commercial for an apartment housing chain. And sure, you can pull a random commercial off the internet as an example of a "crazy" Japanese commercial, but I'm sure I can do the same for any country you name as well.

Do you know what they're referencing in the commercial even? I'm not saying its not a weird commercial (and its not even a commercial I've ever seen, and it wouldn't even appear on the regular channels even). So no, I'm not "eating my words". Sorry!

And yes, I understand the joke of the commercial. I could explain it if you want, but its kind of a dumb joke anyway. There's a lot more clever Japanese commercials that that.

Nice try, that's Korean

Aussie Nintendo commercial

Hmm, I wouldn't want this thread to turn into a "let's post a bunch of crazy foreign commercials" thread all of a sudden...

I honestly think there commercials are much more normal then our commercials
Anyway I know I have to go there because I've spent 1/3 of my life trying, I guess I can wait another 10 years...

@HarmoKnight, didn't you say you had an iPad? Have you DL'd the free NHK World app yet? I think you'd get a lot of time out of it.

@RR529 I do but I never really DL anything it's too confusion to me, if they made one for 3DS or WiiU I'd DL it

I don't know how different it'd be on an iPad, but the App Store is really well organized on the iPod.

Anyways, for someone who's as interested in Japan as you seem to be, I'm surprised you'd let something like a little bit of a wonky shop to get in your way of an app like this.

They don't do much in the way of Japanese pop-culture (although they have a few shows centered around it), they have some on cuisine, a lot on local culture (specific regional culture, such as the culture of a particular city, as well as overall culture), lots of news, and current political & economic situations in the nation.

All the programming is produced by NHK for western audiences, so you get an accurate portrayal of everyday Japanese life, presented in a way that makes it easier for westerners to understand the culture.

To be honest, I'm an American, and I hate most American humor for the reasons you listed. It's not funny, it's just overbearing and offensive. That's why I never watch stand-up anymore. However, I don't get most Japanese humor, either, though I do agree that it's pretty much the opposite of American humor. I prefer something more in-between. British Humor tends to be stuff I laugh at more. though there's plenty of examples in American and Japanese culture, too.

Japnjapanjapan is the bestest there ever was nuahahahahahahahahahaha. (Japanjapan is the very best, ooh, ooh!.) ^__^ Konnichi wa minna-san desuka nai arigato desudesudesudesudesu wakarimashita!

Wrote that song just now. Comment pls.

^NO comment

I think American humor is funny.. If you don't take it personally, then it's actually quite funny!

Tell me about it. If there isn't an innuendo to a joke anymore, it isn't "funny." then again, from what few anime series I've seen, there seems to be a lot of, um, "visual" cues. But of course anime isn't real life, too bad most people outside the country seem to think otherwise.

COMMENT ON MY SONG! >:0