This map of Japan features dozens of colorful folk toys, all 47 prefectures, and a handful of iconic landmarks. It’s a great checklist for these cultural, often-creature creations. Just the cover of a New Year’s card I got from a friend — because cartography can be cute too.
nina’s, a magazine for moms that are still cute & cool, has made street fashion snap photography that much more awesome by going family-style. Part of me says this is ridiculous, part of me says this is fabulous. I just wish I could be half as hip as some of these kids. Check out more [...]
Unfortunately, I’m not two-people-in-one like Kamen Rider Double is. That makes always being prepared for battle or ready for anything that much more difficult…though I enjoy learning and growing through the fine art of adaptation. Now that I’ve lived in Japan for an awesome 6 months, here’s a list of 6 things that caught me [...]
This commercial for internet service provider So-net starring Shinoda Mariko (篠田麻里子) may be almost a year old but it’s still quite great. Makes me proud to be publishing this over a So-net connection.
Curry Cook from Kinnikuman (キン肉マン, Muscleman or “Ultimate Muscle” in the US) bobblehead. He came in a mystery box so I didn’t know which character I was going to get. Sure I could have gotten Kinnikuman himself, Alexandria Meat (aka Meat-kun), Robin Mask, or Canadianman, but I’ll gladly take the fighter who wears a bowl [...]
Komatsuzaki Shigeru (小松崎茂), 1961 The imaginative and amazing Komatsuzaki Shigeru (1915-2001) was a prolific artist and illustrator. Komatsuzaki did everything from character designs to model box art to science fiction concept art and more during his 50-plus year career. Sadly, most of his original paintings were destroyed in a fire but his art lives on [...]
A nurse-themed hostess bar in Susukino, Sapporo. Considering my thing for nurses, I’m fascinated. Unfortunately as the sign alludes, the “nurses” are probably just typical hostess-style girls with a nurse’s cap and uniform on. I demand a more authentic nurse experience!
The Zeniarai Benten shrine in Kamakura. At the secluded shrine, there is a cave with a spring inside where people come to wash their coins with “the hope that they may be doubled”.
From New Year’s Eve ~ Fans wait outside of the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for a Hamasaki Ayumi (浜崎あゆみ) concert to bring in the new year. Looking towards Meiji Shrine (where the trees are), the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building (skyscraper behind the trees), and Harajuku (where the blue & white buildings are).
Model & actress Eikura Nana (榮倉 奈々) turns 22 today! She’s currently my Japanese celebrity of choice, mostly because she appears in a ton of commercials and in the pages of many magazines. Dear Japanese companies and advertisers, if you want me to sheepishly buy your products, no matter how ridiculous or useless they may [...]
