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Brand name fever
I’ve never been sure whether to believe the idea that Japanese are excessively fond of brand names. None of the Japanese women I know display flashy, expensive belongings that are outside their means. If they have them, they don’t flaunt them. Since showing off is the main purpose of brand name goods, I think they…
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No more loanwords
The education ministry is setting up a committee “to propose ways to prevent too many imported words from entering the Japanese language.” Spoken Japanese is a mishmash of Japanese and ‘loan words’ from English, French, German, Dutch & other languages. Rendered in katakana, often both the pronunciation and the meaning change from the original. Are…
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Take that, smokers
Japan is one of the most smoker-friendly places I’ve ever lived. So many people smoke here I forget sometimes what it’s like to breathe non-smoky air. But one of Tokyo’s wards just passed a new ordinance against smokers–the first one of its kind in the country. As of October 1, Chiyoda-ku is banning smoking outdoors…
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Move or quit?
If presented with a dilemma–follow your job to Singapore or become unemployed in Japan–what would you choose? We’ve decided on unemployment. In about 30 days, the door closes on the current chapter of Tod’s wage earning. It’s a little bit scary, but it presents a million possibilities for new directions and challenges so it’s exciting,…
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With Africa Against povery
A couple of weeks ago, I accepted a pro bono job to make a virtual banner to accompany the “With Africa Against Poverty” campaign that the United Nations Development Programme is running. All of the footballers in Africa (along with some FIFA executives and the heads of several African nations) signed a huge, 7 meter…
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Late Night Delinquency
Middle of the Night Delinquency “I am seriously wigged out,” Tod wrote to a friend on IRC at 3:20 this morning.”Kristen and her friend MJ went out to the convenience store about an hour and 20 minutes ago (it is a 5 minute walk) and they are not back yet. There is no sign of…
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World Cup view
This was my view of last night’s exciting US-Germany game. Although the US lost, they played well. One shot on goal really might have been a goal, but it was ruled not. Even in the instant replays, it was hard to tell if it went in or not. Half the US team got yellow-carded for…
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Marunouchi beauty
The Marunouchi line is a subway, but it peeks above ground several times along its route. Here is a view of the track between Ochanomizu and Awajicho where the train crosses a bridge over the Kanda River. I love this tiny section of track. It takes about five seconds to traverse it, but the view…
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WC ticket, 1
My lucky husband got a ticket to tomorrow’s US-Germany World Cup game in Ulsan, Korea. What a great chance! He’s got a full day ahead of him with two flights, a reservation for a seat at a pub to watch the afternoon’s game (England-Brazil) being played in Japan, then a taxi to the stadium for…
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World Cup quarterfinals
Well, the World Cup is quickly drawing to a conclusion. After a flurry of qualification games, the “round of sixteen is over and we’re down to eight games remaining. I’m surprised at how much I’ve been paying attention. It’s sort of fun, even if I don’t understand the esoteric rules of big-league soccer. The quarterfinals…
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