Japanese TV Commercials
Posted by harvey in Media on 11. Dec, 2006 | 4 Comments
Here are some of my favorite Japanese TV commercials on YouTube. I hope you enjoy! Love Beer Table Tennis Love Beer Barbecue Match – This is what Japanese BBQ’s are like! Love Beer Karaoke – Love this one, notice the Pocky-like snacks flying through the air. I’m not saying they’re better than the Tarako commercials… [...]
1000 yen bill into Turban Noguchi
Posted by harvey in Humor on 10. Dec, 2006 | Comments Off
Follow the method shown on this YouTube video and you can turn your 1000 yen bill into a turbaned man. This is one of the newer internet gimmicks going around Japan now. Give it a try! – Harvey
Education Reform Demo
Posted by harvey in Society on 08. Dec, 2006 | 1 Comment
I was out near Omotesando and randomly ran into these protesters. They are protesting against proposed changes to the 教育基本法 (basic education law). However, I had not heard of these changes before I saw the protesters… I still don’t know the content of what is to be changed. Sounds like I’ve got some homework. The [...]
Japanese Emoticon orz
Posted by harvey in Culture, Humor on 06. Dec, 2006 | 5 Comments
Japanese emoticons are way more “advanced” than those in the US. For example, there is one called ‘orz’. It resembles a person on their hands and knees, defeated. The ‘o’ is his head, the ‘r’ his hands, which are planted on the floor, and the ‘z’ is his legs, bent at the knee. Here is [...]
The Men Line Up
Posted by harvey in Humor on 04. Dec, 2006 | 1 Comment
Sometimes in Japan I feel like I’m on another planet. For example, in Japan, the men’s toilet is the one with the lines! Joking, this isn’t common. This is actually the toilet down at the horse racing track. I’m sure the toilet at the pachinko parlor is similar… – Harvey
Japanese Proverbs: The Light of Money
Posted by harvey in Culture, Language on 03. Dec, 2006 | 4 Comments
Well, now that I’m a student again, time for more Japanese language learning! Everyone loves proverbs, right? Here is one. hotokeno hikari yori kane no hikari 「仏の光より、金の光」 This proverb means that, rather than having the light of Buddha, having the light of money on your side is better. Or, there is nothing to be more [...]
Japanese ebooks at Aozora Bunko
Posted by harvey in Culture on 01. Dec, 2006 | 5 Comments
You can get free Japanese ebooks at Aozora Bunko (青空文庫). Many of you may be familar with Project Gutenberg, a website which offers free English language ebooks. Same thing, but with more Kanji. You can search by author or book title. There are also books available in Palm format, and even Keitai format as well. [...]
