For some reason, I am really happy for the double “L.”
Via Hello Kitty Hell

One of the cardinal rules for gaijin coming to Japan is, try your best to make it over here as a university student.
College life in Japan is a kind of magical time between childhood and adulthood, mercifully free of the stress that normally comes with studying at university, where you can make lifelong friends […]

Koichi Toyama, wild and wacky candidate for past Tokyo governor elections of years gone by, has found a new goal in live. . . Becoming President of the United States!

You know, some of the things he says make more sense than some of the “real” candidates. . .
Via JapanProbe

It makes sense but it’s an unfortunate choice of words to borrow from English. “Catch” might be better.
(Spotted on a local train outside Kitakyushu.)

Next time you’re in Osaka, consider visiting the Monofuku Ando Memorial Ramen Museum, a sprawling facility commemorating the achievements of the Taiwan-born Japanese inventor of instant ramen.
In the postwar years, Japanese were eating bread made with wheat flower brought in by the occupying U.S. military, and Momofuku (then operating a small business extracting salt […]

Found this interesting letter to the editor on the Japan Times website.
‘Gaijin’ to Japanese eyes
By REIMI DAVIDSON
Honolulu
Regarding the Sept. 2 article “The ‘gaijin’ debate: Arudou responds”: Debito Arudou’s claim that the word “gaijin” is racist not only borders on whining but also smacks of something that could only be brought up by a white […]

That is the name of a this year’s campaign held by Japan’s Paradise TV to raise money for research aimed at the prevention and spread of the HIV virus and AIDS.
Events includes five two-handed squeezes of the breasts or buttocks of adult video (AV) actresses for 1,000 yen, as well as servings of food […]

In case anyone is interested, gaijin-turned-Japanese gadabout Debito Arudou has published another piece in the Japan Times about the word “gaijin.”
Debito also recently did an online survey, which he reports on here.

Japan has a new Prince of Tennis, by the name of Kei Nishikori, who is kicking butt in the U.S. open right now after his big win against David Ferrer over the weekend, making him the first Japanese tennis player to advance to the 4th round since 1937.
Born in in rural Shimane Prefecture in […]

It’s fair to say that when he “started playing that country gold” more than 50 years ago, there was no country and western scene in Japan. What there is today is largely down to his tireless efforts, and those of his friends.
Charlie Nagatani and his family also run a ’saloon’, Good Time Charlie, in […]

I’ve written a series of articles about the time I spent in Japan. I hope you enjoy both these and my further contributions to JAPUNDIT.

How I Got there
Culture Shock
Exploration as Recreation
A Cross-Country Drive
Combini and Vending Machines
Bicycling and Injury
Shopping Blind
The Elusive Asian Girlfriend
Nonverbal Communication
So You Want to be an Expatriate
All Good Things

Since news is slow today, here is a video of what I think is probably one of the very best Japanese songs ever written: Koibito yo by Mayumi Itsuwa (1980).

If you want to see one person’s translation of the lyrics into English, check out this version.

In ancient times in Tokyo [meaning in the 1950s] I wrote a weekly column entitled “Only in Japan” that covered events, ideas and products that were unique to the country.
     Many of these things appeared humorous or childish to the average Westerner, but some of them, particularly unusual products and odd brand names, went on […]