It’s been a while since our last humorous entry, and we haven’t talked about Japan much since our post about Junky Healthy Taco Rice and other fun Engrish stuff, so we thought a good way to kill two birds with one stone would be to show you guys some of the funny Engrish-style T-shirts those crazy Japanese have cooked up.

Dental hygiene is of extremely great in portance in Japan. Whilst I was perusing the various and sundry clothing shops scattered throughout Harajuku, I came upon this incredible shirt. It’s awfully rare to find a T-shirt that so unilaterally implores others to follow societal mores, really. Come to think of it, I think teeth are often undervalued in our society…well, or maybe that’s just England?

Nevertheless, it serves as a good reminder. Also, check out that bad tooth - do all cavities have such a huge bite taken out of them? Thankfully, they provided three standard teeth to allow for comparison. Gosh, I love this shirt so much. Read the rest of this entry »

This year I decided to forego the usual western customs in favor of following a more Japanese approach to celebrating the New Year. Fortunately for me, the Japanese community in Los Angeles puts on quite a celebration on the first few days of the year, with traditional food, music, and dancing.

After enjoying the first sunrise of the year (hatsuhinode), I headed down to Little Tokyo to catch the festivities (and buy some manga, of course). They had stages set up for various performances at both Weller Court in front of the Kinokuniya bookstore, as well in the Japanese Village Plaza, pictured below. Read the rest of this entry »

Minami-ke’s Kana-chan apparently thinks that she is boss.

And certainly, in addition to frequently bending Chiaki to her will, she seems to have the show’s male cast pretty well under her thumb.

What she does not realize, however, is that someone else has already laid claim to that title:

NO ME

As a matter of fact, SUNTORY BOSS is actually the real boss. And not just the usual garden variety “hit their weak point three times” kind of boss, either. He’s the boss of them all, and apparently has been since 1992.

Sorry Kana, looks like you lose this one. Read the rest of this entry »

Fireworks light up the sky over Miyajima

Continued from Part 1.

Having finally achieved the summit of Mt. Misen, Miyajima Island’s tallest peak, I decided to hurry back down to the beach so that I could secure a good spot from which to photograph the fireworks. Read the rest of this entry »

The famous floating torii of Miyajima

Japan is, in my very humble opinion, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Certainly it’s one of the most accommodating to travellers. The country offers a stunning juxtaposition between the modern and the traditional, all easily accessible via one of the world’s most modern transportation networks. Hop on the shinkansen (bullet train) in Tokyo and head north into the mountains, and within an less than an hour the seething mass of humanity and skyscrapers gives way to rice fields, endless bamboo forests, and soaring alpine scenery.

In addition to anime news and reviews and the like, it’s also my goal to share with you my passion for other aspects of Japanese culture. As a former resident of Tokyo and a card-carrying Japan-o-phile, I always enjoy talking about the many fascinating and unique experiences I’ve had while traveling throughout the Land of the Rising Sun. To that end, I hope to put together these little travel diaries from time to time as I feel motivated, giving you a window into my journies.

Since it’s Obon season right now, I thought it would be fitting to show you a little bit about one of my more memorable Obon adventures. Guff hasn’t been to Miyajima yet (the poor sap), so this post will be just me (0rion). Read the rest of this entry »