watashi to tokyo

24 Hour Tag with English subtitle

Wendy's is leaving Japan today,so many people are lining up to eat it for the last time. I heard that Wendy's is trying to find a new partner and is leaving Japan against their will because their Japanese partner company gave up on financially backing Wendy's. I didn't go to eat it and I wonder what new shop will replace my local Wendy's.

For New Year's, I thoroughly cleaned my bathroom and ate Toshikoshi soba. I will go for Hatsumode when Joyano kane starts around midnight.
 
The New Year's Eve episode of the "Don't Laugh" series aired on TV. I am not watching it cause I want to watch it later on YouTube. I accidentally found the comedian downtown's 24 Hour Tag with English subtitles. This is funny too, please enjoy.

King of thorn trailer

This is a funny new site: "Namings." People give names for certain phenomenon that we often experience but have no name for. For example, when you hit your elbow, you will feel a tingling sensation. What do you call it? We don't have any word to describe that, so people post name suggestions and vote for the best ones. For that tingling sensation, I voted for "elbowic thunder." Ha ha, ha silly but funny.

Have you heard of the animation "King of Thorn"? You can check out the trailer on its official site. This looks like something about bio hazards to me. Check it out.

An English man living in Japan who loves Japanese ruins picked the best ruins in Japan of 2009. Here are the "10 Most Popular Haikyo (ruins) of 2009." I don't want to go to those ruins, but I like to see photos of them. Why do we find beauty in ruins... It's a way to observe the flowing of time, the tracking of energy...

I enjoyed this Yahoo Answers question: "I heard most japanese people are an atheist. But why is crime in Japan lower than in many Christian countries?" Personally I like this answer very much: "just think, no religion in the world. how peaceful, the world is so brainwashed over religion." I agree with that, I feel that religion can't make things better or make people happy enough. As for the question, I personally think that because of our history, and that Japanese people have to live in small areas, small villages, and small groups, we have to help each other or risk being kicked out of the group. Being excluded from society meant death, because you couldn't expect another's help if you were sick or starving. So we always need to work hard to be liked and accepted by others, which might account for our good behavior".

Kimchi shake?

Lotteria is Japanese fast food chain that sell humbergers mainly like McDonalds. They started paper fortune champaing and it is funny. When you buy pecified burger or burger set, you can try paper fortune. Very lucky is paying back all money, lucky fortune is paying back 100yen, fortune is paying back 50yen and unlucky is you will get "Kimchi shake" with Korean spicy miso Gochujang. Hm, interesting but I don't need it.

Usavich is Japanese strange and funny animation that it's about an odd couple of rabbits imprisoned in a Soviet prison. I love very much and you can see some here on MTV Japan. Kanaban Graphics is creative company of usavich and they will start new animation series "yan yan machiko".　It has more happy, lovely mood.

Bonenkai season

Wow, I want to see "High-tech anti-domestic violence advertising." About ad, Tokyo metro's this month manner poster is this.
 

Since December is bonenkai (forget the year gathering) season, it is hard to get seat at Izakaya after job and there are many many drank people everywhere. By the way, Number of suicides in Japan surpasses 30,000 for 12th year, in this country people are suffering mentaly, economically, etc,. Actually on Friday night train was delay by Jinshinjiko and I got home late. It's good to enjoy drinking together and forget the past. I really hope next year is better than 2009.

This is an interesting topic from Japan forum, "Useless things in Japan". I agree with "Shaken" one. Japanese companies build some of the best cars in the world, why on earth do they have to run them through that stupid inspection every year or two ? YES!! Exactry! So that I don't have any car and live at 30 seconds from the station. Nothing inconvenient.

Talking about strange stuff, PC watch relesed the weird things they found in Akiba in 2009. No1 is like spaceship PC Cases. No2. is military keyboard. No.3 is cat ear head phone. Personally I think this is strange necktie camera and spider mouse. Petty usuelss they are uh?

Merry Christmas

^{Merry Christmas! I hope you have nice Christmas eve.}

  

Can you believe this? Jailbreak fugitive updates Facebook page

McDonalds in Japan often releases some unusual foods just for the domestic market, like a breaded and fried shrimp patty sandwich for example. Now they will release 4 new burgers one by one. They are calling them "American" burgers, but I can't really understand what makes them American.

The first one, the "Texas Burger" has bbq sauce on fried onions, bacon, cheese, and seed type mustard. The only Texasy part is the barbecue sauce. Then the New York burger also has seed mustard, and bacon, as well as lettuce, tomato, and Monterey Jack cheese, but I don't know which part is supposed to be from New York.

Then the California burger is just a regular burger with powdered cheese on top of the bun, and something called a "California Wine Sauce". And the last one, the Hawaiian burger doesn't resemble anything Hawaiian at all. I'm told that Hawaiian burgers usually have a pineapple slice. This one's distinguishing ingredients are a fried egg on top of the patty covered with brown gravy sauce.

I guess sometimes Japanese companies don't really represent other cultures and countries very authentically. But since the target is Japanese customers it won't make much difference. It's no worse than the "Japanese" restaurant I saw in Las Vegas serving all kinds of Chinese food I suppose.

Charaben

Here is a movie of a guy that made a character bento. He published a book called "face food recipes" about chara ben. Well, the bento looks good, but I don't think it would taste good (sorry). He didn't cook the fried tofu or the other ingredients on the rice. Japanese moms' charaben were made to entice their kids to finish eating their lunches, so they paid close attention to taste as well as looks. As for foreigner charaben creators, Anna the Red is well known and I wrote about her on my blog a long time ago. I think her charaben look AND taste good and I am very impressed by her creations. Here is her bento collection on Flickr.

too busy, no x'mas

Team Minus 6％ was established in April 2005 as a Japanese international commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, and is a national campaign against global warming aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 6％. And it will change into challenge 25 soon because of Japanese mission on COP15. I am disappointed at COP15 but hopefully Japane complete the mission that reduce warm gas 25% compared to 1990s and share the idea know-how and technology to the world.

I can't say anything to see this photos. He was too exicited and had blook on nose...orz

Anyway will you have Christmas party ? I have no plan, I am too busy to do it, actually I have no time to write blog everyday now, sorry for that. Ah I wish I could cook this!!

Commercial of the decade

I spent long time to watchi this site, COMMERCIAL OF THE DECADE, it's a result of ADweek media "best of the 2000s". The no1 ad was Honda's "Grrr". I can't understand well why that is no1, I like IKEA one.

My favorite ad? It's impossible to choose the best, so I post some nice Japanese ads of American celebs.

Brad and Musashimaru(ex sumo yokozuna came from Samoa)

Tommy Lee Jones Suntry Boss seires, it's fun.

funny comedy sketch about someone trying to learn English

Brian send me this, this was a very funny comedy sketch about someone trying to learn English from a taped lesson. The guy is Tomonori Jinnai who is ex husband of Norika Fujiawara.

The best manga 2010 & JLPT listening test

I have neve had TOEIC or TOFUL test, maybe I won't have it anymore cause I don't want to dissapointed to the result. I may lost motivation to write a blog anymore by it :-). I got "Society for Testing English Proficiency" when I was junior high in class. My American firend said it's much easier thatn TOEIC. What do you think? This is listening comprehension test for grade one.

In Japan, the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test(JLPT) is is conducted both in Japan and outside Japan to evaluate and certify the language proficiency of primarily non-native speakers of Japanese. Of course I have never had it but I am interested what test it is. Then today I found the listening comprehension test for grade one of JLPT. Funny part is the story sounds fake Evangelion + Gundam +something. Mobile suit unit 1 2 3 4 and Aska appears. Strange test, but maybe many forieng people are interested in Japan because of anime cultures so it will be kay.

Personally I trust choice of "Kono Manga ga Sugoi"(the best mang of the year) by Takarajima. I picked two years ago about it and finally they released 2010 best.

Boys Manga
1.Bakuman :Tsugumi Ohba/Ken Obata(death note pair)
2.One Piece : Eiichio Oda
3.Seishun Shonen Magazine : Makoto Kobayashi
4.Hoshi Mamoru Inu: Takashi Murakami
5.Moteki : Mitsurou Kubo
6.Koukoukyuji Zawasan : Eriko Mishima
7.Fullmetal Alchemist : Hiroshi Arakawa
8.Saint Young Men : Hikaru Nakamura
9.Toriko: Mitsutoshi Shimatai
10. Yowamushi Pedal : Wataru Watanabe

Girls manga
1.Chihayafuru : Yuki Suetsugu
2.Kimini Todoke : Karuho Shiina
3.Mama was temparist : Akiko Higashimura
4.Kuragehime : Akiko Higashimura
5.Tonari no Kaibutsukun : Robiko
6.Oino Isho : Kiriko Nishi
7.Aozora yell : Kazune Kawahara
8.Gozen sanji no Muhochitai : Yoko Nemu
9.Isagiyoku Yawarakaku : Aya Ikuemi
10. flat : Natsu Aogiri