An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla

Alright, no matter how it may seem from time to time, Japanese pop culture has yet to infiltrate every shadowed nook and cranny on planet Earth.  And perhaps you’re one of those who finds this an enormous relief.  If so, you are dismissed.  On the other hand, if you’re an anime and manga fan who has somehow missed this blog, you’ll want to visit right away.

An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla (I don’t get it either, let’s just move on) is the blog of Patrick Macias, a “writer, editor, and internationally recognized Japanese pop culture expert” who splits his time between Tokyo and San Francisco, editing “Otaku USA” magazine and contributing to a host of projects in various media formats.  The blog itself is an interesting and regularly updated look at the scene, exploring both its history and most cutting edge concerns.  A definite daily read for anyone who’s passionate about Japan’s popular culture and its trappings.  Check it out here or from the sidebar.

Let’s Japan

This blog is a potential lifesaver for some hapless young humanities major out there, with fantasies of coming to Japan and teaching English while he (a) dates an endless parade of submissive auto show girls (b) becomes a martial arts legend or (c) gets an apartment in Akihabara and claws his way to the top of the savage otaku food chain.

The blog’s About section puts it this way:

Let’s Japan seeks to debunk the beast known as eikaiwa, or English conversation in Japan…Working in Japan was nothing close to the image presented to us back home. We were salesmen, doing our best to keep students happy enough so that they would gladly keep paying for the privilege of speaking to us a few times a week.

Let’s Japan does an excellent job of tracking news items related to the big chain English schools, and has found ample material in the aftermath of the Nova fiasco.  The writers also pull very few punches in sharing their own anecdotes about life in the eikaiwa ghetto.  So the next time a young relative or friend’s kid brother asks about teaching in one of the McSchools, you have an alternative to the standard, “Sure, or you could just fling yourself in front of a train.”  Send them to Let’s Japan.

Here or from the sidebar.

The Workaholic Hostess

Interesting primarily because there are so few similar blogs in English.  Jade (not her real name) is an American citizen working in a Roppongi hostess club.  In her blog, she writes about her co-workers, customers both good and bad, and her alcoholic mama-san.

The blog is obviously a place for her to blow off some steam, and the tone gets pretty vicious at times, but it works well as a window into the daily routines of a hostess in a small club.  She spends a fair amount of time wondering aloud just what she’s doing with her life, and after reading a few entries you’ll wonder too.  Still, the distinctly soap opera feel of the blog can hook you pretty quickly.

Here or from the sidebar.

Frangipani

It seems a great many people who arrive in Japan wind up trying to reinvent themselves, even if that wasn’t their intention at all when they set out.  I can’t say for sure why this is.  Perhaps the relative scarcity of opportunities allows some of us to look into possibilities we wouldn’t have taken as seriously back home.

I certainly won’t try to guess at what motivates the author of Frangipani, a wonderful little blog from an Australian in Tokyo.  But it’s been fun reading her site and following her work as she’s honed her camera skills and begun to think about launching her own photography business.  She wrote recently about the “Thousand True Fans” theory, a somewhat optimistic idea making its rounds on the internet, claiming that all an artist needs to make a living is 1,000 devoted fans.  I can’t vouch for the theory’s soundness, but if her work continues in the direction it’s going, she can sign me up.  

Be sure to click around a bit; her photographs are kept in several different places.  Here or from the sidebar.

Néojaponisme

This is another group effort, and an excellent example of how well this blogging model can work.  Néojaponisme draws on the time and talents of at least four regular contributors who write brief but interesting articles on Japanese culture, covering topics from film and literature to architecture and television.  In addition to articles, the blog includes interviews, a short series of podcasts, and book reviews.  Recent entries have explored Mt. Fuji’s place in the national psyche and literature, looked at lesser-known works by popular novelist Murakami Haruki, and even answered some questions about insulation in Tokyo buildings for the miserable, shivering creatures who live in them.

This is an especially refreshing effort for those of us who grow quickly tired of “Japanese culture” blogs that stick strictly to the martial arts / tea ceremony end of things or display similar fixations on animé and manga.  The Néojaponisme guys may find all the above interesting, and indeed their personal website suggest as much, but as a team they’ve managed to sidestep any single-minded obsessions.

Here or from the sidebar.

Four Corners of Japan

What a find!  There are some foreigners who pick one town or neighborhood in Japan and cling to it like barnacles.  Then there are the other kind.

Meet the other kind.  From their first blog entry:

In spring 2008, two Australian writers are leaping into a very big and exceedingly ancient pond, walking the entire length of Japan, upright and erect (at least at the start), a journey of up to six months and 3,500km. Ian is hiking solo from ‘mainland’ Japan’s most easterly point (Cape Nosappu: 43, 22′ N; 145, 49′ E) to its most westerly (Kousakibana: 33, 13 N; 129, 33′ E) ; Chris is starting at the opposite end of the country, walking from the most southerly point (Cape Sata: 30, 59′ N; 130, 39′ E) to the most northerly (Cape Soya: 45, 31′N; 141, 56′ E). Though physically and psychologically demanding, their adventure will provide two intimate, ever-changing views of Japan.

This looks like it’s going to be one hell of a trip, crisscrossing each of Japan’s four main islands. Be sure to check out their About page, in which they lay out the ground rules for the project and list the twenty “Waypoints” they’re both required to pass through. They’re about a month and a half into the journey now, and as might be expected they’ve hit a few snags. Fortunately it looks like neither of them is about to give up yet. As a bonus the writing is, for the most part, excellent. Check it out here or from the sidebar.
 

What Japan Thinks

This is such a great idea, and it’s turned into an enormously popular blog.  After several years of trying to puzzle out what the Japanese actually thought about religion, Ken began to find and translate a variety of surveys and polls.   Things quickly got out of hand, and in just the last week, the blog has offered poll results on internet cafe use, where people get their hair cut, hay fever statistics, credit card use and which figure from history people would most like to meet in a seance.  Almost unbelievably, Oda Nobunaga comes takes first prize in that last one, in case you’re interested.

Ken is quick to point out that he does none of the research himself.  These are professionally conducted polls, drawn from a wide range of sources.  Ken is just making them available in English, with the occasional wry comment thrown in to keep readers coming back. 

Here or from the sidebar.

Cherry Blossom Adventures

Here’s a very lively, chatty blog being kept by a young Australian in Tokyo.  She’s engaged to a Japanese man and has been teaching in an international kindergarten.  They’ll be moving back to Australia shortly, but only for a year. 

Sometimes its pleasant to read a blog that isn’t trying to flummox you with a hipper-than-thou attitude or captioned photos of cats.  Cherry Blossom Adventures is another good example of a seemingly nice person writing honestly about her life in a place she doesn’t completely understand.  Strangely addictive.  See for yourself, here or from the sidebar.

Icebox

A wonderful site from the Hailstone Haiku Circle.  From the “About” page:

The Hailstone Haiku Circle is a group of poet friends - some Japanese and some foreigners - mostly living in the Kansai area of Japan, where both Basho and Buson were born and died. We meet regularly to study, compose and share English haiku, tanka and related art forms.

The blog recently moved to its new location; an older site maintains archives going back to January of 2006.  Entries are frequent and varied, so if you’re at all interested in haiku and similar poetic snapshots of frozen moments, by all means swing by.

Here or from the sidebar.

Notes from the Nog

A consistently interesting peephole into the mind of an American yoga teacher and self-described “internationalizationer” living in the Kyoto area.  Includes local events, the odd haiku, long and thoughtful  posts on the author’s ramblings around Japan and farther afield, and a number of entries that are obviously 3 a.m. seismic rumblings at the base of the skull.  Good stuff, not least of all the most recent entry, a surprise announcement of his marriage.

Here or from the sidebar.

Chanpon

This is a fascinating project, launched by a group of alumni of one of Tokyo’s international schools.  The word “chanpon” means a blend of distinctive ingredients, or the juxtaposition of elements that, on the surface, may seem at odds with one another.   Chanpon.org explores those places where Japanese culture makes close contact, for better or worse, with American and other foreign cultures.  From the site’s “About” page:

Chanpon is a celebration of the space at the intersection of cultures, where multiple viewpoints are embraced without necessarily resolving into a coherent whole. Chanpon identity means being able to navigate and embrace different cultural styles simultaneously; it means not only direct experience with multiple cultures, but being able to blend them into a unique and tasty combination. Chanpon culture is a third culture that is not wholly defined by any mainstream national cultures, but can function as a bridge between them and a source of inspiration, innovation, and cross-cultural understanding.

Really interesting stuff to be found here.  Go take a look, either here or from the sidebar.

Sushicam

In addition to the many wonderful photoblogs maintained by Japanese bloggers, there are a growing number of excellent offerings from foreign residents in Japan.  One of the best of these is Sushicam, an eight-year old blog started by Jeff Laitila.  Jeff is an American living in Yokosuka, and the blog consists of both his writing and photography.  There are also occasional posts from guest bloggers, and hundreds of photos to look at in the archives. 

Here, or from the sidebar.

Tommy’s busy life in Japan

One of the better examples of a blog by a young guy just having fun, this one in Nagoya.  Tommy’s an English Conversation School teacher, far and away the most common job for people in their twenties coming over to Japan for a few years.   Tommy’s also doing a bit of web design and working on some music.  And laughing at his students’ mistakes, but in a friendly way. It also looks like he plans to try some video blogging.

Here or from the sidebar.

Beck Block Blog

Another Daddy Blog, this one from Adam Beck. Adam works for the Hiroshima Peace Center, and has been responsible for a number of interesting charity projects launched from Hiroshima.

On the blog, you can follow the day to day life of an American trying to make a living doing something other than teaching English, while raising two beautiful kids and trying to make the world a better place. Worth a look, either here or from the sidebar.

TV in Japan

Not NHK news, but clips from some of the more exuberant moments on Japanese television.  Naturally, nearly all the clips are in Japanese, but they’re good fun to watch even if you have no idea what’s being said.  Includes commercials, variety show segments, music videos and more.  Recent entries include a cross-dressing Maid Cafe, a terrifying fusion of Santa Claus and Ronald McDonald, and Barack Obama acknowledging that he has, in fact, heard of the little town of Obama, Japan.

Here or from the sidebar.

Walking with Lee

Not a foreigner’s blog, but an excellent English language blog by a resident of Tokyo. The basic idea?  Shige takes us along as he walks Lee, his miniature dachshund, through some of the capital city’s loveliest spots, morning markets and shrine festivals.  Be sure to stop by and take a look. 

Find it here, or from the sidebar.

Pink Tentacle

Unfailingly interesting, Pink Tentacle offers visitors a grab bag of Japanese pop culture both past and present.

Recent posts include 16th century drawings of fantastic beasts thought to cause illness, an eerily lifelike robot patient used by dentists-in-training (nicknamed Pain Girl!), and footage of a pianist performing on a blazing piano on the beach in Ishikawa prefecture. Stop by and check out the most recent oddity.

On the sidebar, or here.

An Englishman in Osaka

“He’s English, he’s a man, and he’s in Osaka.”  This blog has been going steady for three years now, and judging from the comments the author has built up a solid readership.  Most of the posts are silly, and if you enjoy the kind of humor on offer here then you’re in luck, because the Englishman keeps things fresh with frequent entries.  Recent posts include the mysterious deserted city of Otsu, an invitation to “spot the differences” between Japanese and American school buses, and pages from a uniform rental catalog. 

Here or on the sidebar.

Blue Lotus

Here’s one for the foodies.  The blog’s  page says, “A Canadian girl eats her way around Tokyo.”  What it doesn’t tell you is that she cooks too!  Entry after entry details either trips to restaurants in and around Tokyo or wonderful looking meals she’s prepared at home, all accompanied by mouth-watering photographs.

With a high frequency of posts, and occasional side forays into such topics as baseball and how to make Ukrainian Easter eggs, this blog will keep readers coming back to the table again and again.

Find it on the side bar or here.

Laughing Knees

Here’s a blog that leaves Japan’s city streets behind in favor of a walk in the hills. “Laughing Knees” is a Japanese term for the shaky feeling in your legs after a long, steep descent. The blog’s writer calls himself Butuki, and describes himself like this:

A German/ Filipino/ African-American who grew up in Japan, it’s not really my genes that matter to me, but the timbre of place and kinship. If there is anything I would rather be doing, that would be a long walk in the hills, be it alone with my camera and sketchbook, or with a good, like-minded friend.

This is a great blog for anyone interested in outdoor Japan, and an excellent reminder of the country’s astonishing natural beauty. You can visit here or from the sidebar.

Tokyo Tsure Zure Gusa

Tsure Zure Gusa is the title of an old Japanese novel, translated into English as Essays in Idleness.   The only idle thing about this blog is the rate of postings.  Written by Tokyo’s Quinlan Faris, the blog combines interesting (if infrequent) entries about daily life in Tokyo, local politics, learning Japanese and other subjects with a gallery page that offers some really superb photography.  Organized into three broad topics (Tokyo, sumo and festivals), there are about twenty photo albums online here, all well worth a look.  

Sidebar or here. 

Pure Land Mountain

Pure Land Mountain is the online journal of Robert Brady, offering almost daily dispatches from the Japanese countryside.  One of the founders of the wonderful Kyoto Journal, Robert’s writing is often lucid and lovely, sometimes cantankerous or just funny, but hardly ever dull.  And his willingness to write unselfconsciously about topics ranging from shopping for the perfect faucet handle to his ongoing battle as a gardener against marauding monkeys is really refreshing after all those Japan oriented blogs that focus on the English found on candy wrappers and drink cans.

Found on the sidebar or by clicking here.

Alive in Kyoto

Alive in Kyoto is the blog of Nils Ferry, an American father living and writing in Kyoto.  On the blog, he documents daily life in Kyoto both through writing and his excellent photographs.  Recent posts include video from the Kurama Fire Festival in October and the January Ebisu Festival, both quite good.  And with posts going back more than five years, there’s plenty to see and read here.

Check it out from the sidebar, or click here.

adekun’s japan blog

Here’s a site that tries a little of everything, from recipes and gardening tips to beer reviews and a blog.  The website’s author is a first-time father living in western Japan, trying to keep his sanity amid the asparagus and cabbages.  The blog is updated a bit sporadically, but the posts are interesting, especially for people considering living in Japan.  From the blog’s profile: 

Enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of first-time parenthood. Progress on the vegetable garden and other ramblings of a gaijin in Japan’s least populous prefecture.  

Visit the blog here, or access it from our blogroll.

Blogs on Japan

This is the first post of Japan-in-Motion.com’s new blog.  We’ll be introducing blogs on Japan and Japanese culture from a foreign perspective.  Most of the blogs presented here will be in English, but we may from time to time introduce blogs written in other languages as well.We hope this will be of interest to you.  Naturally, we welcome any and all suggestions, comments and blog submissions you may wish to make.  Thanks, and enjoy!