There was a poll recently done by the Japanese search engine Goo about things that guys in Japan did that made them think they were “the man”. As always these polls provide us with a completely unscientific, most probably skewed, but generally entertaining view of Japanese society through the eyes of, well… people who give…
I guess the important thing to keep in mind is that this poll was completed on the internet by a company called COBS. COBS is a data collection agency with members who answer polls and post reviews in return for points. This also explains the number one answer… Here are the result of the poll…
I don’t know how popular Moyasimon is in the West, but it is another highly regarded manga/anime that Japan is planning to make into a live action movie. It’s starting to seem like Japanese filmmakers are trying to beat American film makers to the punch. Astro Boy came out in 2009, and there was also…
Fresh off the heels of making a live version of Space Battleship Yamato, TBS is going to work on one of the most beloved manga and anime works in history. Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe) is the timeless story of the life of a boxer named Joe Yabuta. Many anime fans are concerned again about…
Here are the winners of the 2009 YouTube Japan Video Awards. There are 7 categories, and the winning videos can be found below. In the MUSIC Category: This is a very cool video, definitely worth watching and definitely deserving of the award. An amazing amount of planning and preparation must have gone into this. SOUR…
If you’ve been to Japan, you’ve seen the ubiquitous 100 yen shops like Daiso, Can Do, and others. As with any “dollar shop” type place, there are deals and busts. Here are the results of a recent Excite News Poll in which the website Escala Cafe asked women in their 20s were asked what the…
A 48 year old police captain from Chiba Prefecture was arrested in Ibaraki for stealing an “bishojo” anime figurine at a recycle (second hand) shop. The figure was worth about 6,500 yen (about $71 now). Upon his arrest, he commented “Ma ga sashite, yatte shimatta.” Which has the sound of “the devil made me do…
Another Excite news poll has come out this time giving us a look at the moments in a first date when Japanese women realize they could never date the guy they are with. This could be helpful if you are new to dating in Japan, or just interested in the differences and similarities between dating…
This design was only released on the Japanese language Google homepage but a lot of thought was put into it. The young 20 year old coming of age ceremony participant in a traditional kimono is prominently featured, but there is also the subtle adjustment of the Os in google to look like the number 20!
I previously wrote about the cast of the new Space Battleship Yamato (Star Blazers) movie. Well, the trailer is now available and you can judge for yourself whether to see this one or wait for the inevitable Hollywood remake. This trailer doesn’t show how the story will change with Reiko Takashima as the ship’s doctor,…
Susan Boyle appeared on the annual Red and White Song Battle providing SMAP’s Takuya Kimura a chance to whip out some of the English language skills he and his wife, Shizuka Kudo have been working on. I provide the link below for as long as it lasts on YouTube so you can see it go…
As you know if you live in Japan, NHK demands payment for its services. In fact, they say that “if you own a tv” you are required to pay. Many non-Japanese people living in Japan think that pretending not to understand Japanese will save you, but they will come back with a vengence, or an…