Is there anything cuter than a panda? Yes. 5 more things.
In this post I’ve listed my top 5 kyaraben. Let me know if you find any other cute ones! Continue Reading »
Kyaraben – Playing with your food
Apr 10th, 2012 by nchilada
Redline – Explosions! Nitro! Guns! LOVE!
Apr 10th, 2012 by nchilada
The new good old days of anime.
So after a long, long, absence which has primarily been caused by not being bothered to watch any Japanese films, read any manga, or play any Japanese videogames (which frankly then leaves me very little to write about on a blog about Japanese culture) I’m back. Probably only briefly though, but we’ll see how we get on. And the reason for my return? Redline. Continue Reading »
#58 – The idol you can’t meet
Jul 9th, 2011 by nchilada
Frankly, if I was the girl where all they took were my eyebrows, I'd be really upset.
I’m off for a couple of weeks enjoying a lovely holiday, so probably won’t be able to update this blog for a little while. But before I go, just a quick post about a recent news item in Japan.
AKB48 are a pretty popular “idol” group, who like Anpanman, hold the Guinness World Record for the highest number of members. Idol groups are Japanese girl / boy bands, and are often linked to a department store where they make appearances. These groups inspire huge devotion from fans in their local area, even if the band is not that well-known nationally. And they have cross-generational appeal, albeit in slightly creepy way. It is not at all unusual to see middle-aged men forming long queues to see their favourite member. Continue Reading »
Anpanman bath bombs
Jul 4th, 2011 by nchilada
A little piece of bathtime heaven
My birthday present from my brother in Japan arrived this week, only 3 months late: a new personal best. However, I can’t complain, partly because he always sends me peculiar and brilliant things, and partly because it is already two weeks after his birthday and I still haven’t put my present in the post back to him.
As part of a now regular tradition, my brother sent me some Japanese bath bombs. In the same way that the Japanese have taken the toilet and evolved it, Pokemon style, to incorporate water jets, a heated seat and a fake flushing noise to press to cover your from embarassment when you’re doing really noisy ones, they have likewise taken the common bath bomb to its natural next evolution. Continue Reading »
Otaku-it!: Daijoubu
Jun 19th, 2011 by nchilada
Daijoubu? You're already dead
Another week another, Otaku-it!, primarily because these articles are really easy to write and don’t really require me to have watched any anime or read any manga (which I haven’t done for a little while). Straying slightly from the template, we won’t discuss a word that my brother uses to insult me but a personal favourite – “daijoubu”.
Daijoubu (大丈夫 or だいじょうぶ） In english slang, used as: 1. It’s okay. 2. I’m okay (not hurt). 3. That’s fine. 4. Are you okay? – urban dictionary.
“Daijoubu” is what you say if you want to check if someone is OK, and is ubiquitous in anime mostly because people are always falling over (to see girls’ pants), getting hit on the heads (for looking at girls’ pants), or being struck by laser beams. “Daijoubu” is a personal favourite because it’s both a question and an answer; the equivalent of ‘alright?’, ‘alright’ in English. I like to imagine a Japanese version of Manchester, where lads in parka jackets wander around nodding at each other. I think this place might be Osaka. Continue Reading »
Manga farming
Jun 6th, 2011 by nchilada
I don’t know why, but I think there’s something deeply moving about this installation by Tokyo based artist Koshi Kawachi. Manga Farming was an installation last year at the Matsuzakaya department store in Nagoya (thanks to pink tentacle for the post).
Damp manga is used to grow radish sprouts; but to me it’s like watching little manga trees grow.
Otaku-it!: Baka
Jun 6th, 2011 by nchilada
Great Teacher Onizuka - surely the greatest baka of them all.
In our continuing feature, Otaku-it!, I thought I’d write about the word “Baka”. This ensures that this feature has thus far only covered words that Japanese people and my brother use to insult me.
Baka (馬鹿, ばか, or バカ) is a frequently used Japanese language word meaning “fool; idiot; jerk; dolt; imbecile; foolish; stupid; worthless; absurd; ridiculous; Idiotic”. – wikipedia.
“Baka” seems to be every other word in most anime, a bit like the ‘f-word’ if you’re on a bus near Portsmouth. It tends to be shouted at man who has just tripped over and accidentally seen some girl’s pants or something. Broadly it means ‘you idiot!’, and is usually accompanied with a clip round the ear for comic effect. Continue Reading »
Blog: Getting lost in Japan
Jun 5th, 2011 by nchilada
Look at him, with his stupid face. I'll get him one day, mark my words.
If you have any sense you should steer clear of this blog detailing the misfortunes and misadventures of my hiterto good friend, now blog nemesis and immediate relative. The foolish idiot has decided that rather than follow the time-worn path of correct spelling and grammar, he will throw caution and punctuation to the wind.
Does he think that being laugh out loud funny is enough? Why would you want to read about a man who threatens to kill people on his second post, and pretends to be married so that he can steal food from kindly old people?
I can’t think of a single reason why you would want to visit A Gaijin’s guide to getting lost in Japan.
So please don’t. As I’m afraid you won’t come back.
Otaku-it!: Otaku
Jun 5th, 2011 by nchilada
Bottle-glasses, bad skin, sweaty, fat, clutching at a doll - this guy's got to be otaku.
I thought I’d write a quick little feature on some basic vocabulary that I’ve picked up, called Otaku-it!. And, since it’s in the title of the feature, I thought I would start with that most basic and fundamental word of all: Otaku.
Otaku (おたく / オタク?) is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, or video games. – wikipedia
In Japan “Otaku” always used to be an extremely negative word – implying a whole list of cultural associations. Ask a Japanese person to describe an Otaku and they’ll describe a slighty fat, sweaty, late teen / early twenty male with bottle glasses and poor personal hygeine clutching tightly onto a (surely underage!) figurine from Neon Evangelion wandering around Akihabara. Otaku is the Japanese equivalent of “nerd” or “geek”. Continue Reading »
Haruki Murakami: Dreams of strong currents
Jun 5th, 2011 by nchilada
There might be a giant talking monkey next to him, but he probably won't mention it.
Phew – it’s been a while!
In my defence, in the time since the last post I did each of the following at least once:
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moved to London
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finished Deadly Premonition
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started a new job
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went on one of those secret supper club things
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bought a house
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stood next to Sarah from Girl’s Aloud at a bar
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been hynoptised
So it’s not like I haven’t been busy or anything. But finally, now I have a few minutes while my wife watches Step Up 3 to jot down some thoughts on one of my all time favourite authors, Haruki Murakami. Continue Reading »