Finding Japan
By Christopher S.
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Podcast Description
A audio and video podcast blog about finding my own Japan as a twenty-something international business and IT professional.
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Epilogue 6 - Fred and Terrance Visit Tokyo | Before Fred and Terrance left Tokyo, we managed a round-table wrap-up of the weekend's activities. Though the weekend did not go as planned, we still had a great time and summed up the weekend's adventures along with Fred's thoughts on Japan after returning after 5 years for a visit. Listen below! | 19 9 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | VideoEpilogue 5 - Fuji Yoshida Fire Festival | Recently, Linda, Fred, Terrance and I made the trek up to the base of Mount Fuji to see the Fuji Yoshida Fire Festival. This festival marks the closing of the hiking trails for Fuji-san. The carrying of the mikoshi through town along with the noise is said to try to appease the goddess of Mt. Fuji so that the mountain will not erupt. Fires are lit from the center of the city all the way to Sengen-Jinja in order to impress the goddess. You can read more about the Fuji Yoshida Fire Festival by reading on other sites. You can see the festival by watching this video. Enjoy! | 12 9 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Epilogue 4 - The Pachinko Experience | Fred joins in this episode to discuss the ever classic Japan pachinko parlor experience. After coming home from a round of yakitori, we enjoy a few beers on the way back to my apartment to chat about our experience. Listen to us get distracted by the ultrasonic teenage repellers down in Tsukiji. | 6 9 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | VideoEpilogue 3 - Awesome Beer Pour | So I sat down this evening to get my Logic setup all ready for another podcast, and I just couldn't sit down and belt out some audio tonight. So instead, we do a video. A co-worker join myself and Linda for dinner the other night at a fabulous german beer hall restaurant in Hamamatsu-chou on Friday night. The beer was great, and the sausage was fantastic. And the beer was poured very stylistically. Enjoy! | 23 8 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | VideoEpilogue 2 - Video Coffee Machine | You can be in Japan for many years and still see something new every day. This was the case when Linda and I recently noticed a new type of coffee machine at our local hospital here. Apparently this coffee machine shows a multi-angle live video feed of how your coffee is being prepared inside the machine. We're quite sure its legit too since my coffee cup had a different color than the customer before me. And the coffee itself? Amazing! If you are ever in Saint Lukes hospital in the Tsukiji area, hit this machine up! | 12 6 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Epilogue 1 - Long Overdue Update | Hey everyone. Thanks for writing and for all of the comments and support. I figured it was well overdue and time for me to provide an update for what has been going on. In this episode, I take some time to address the gaps, give a brief update on our lives and adventures, and explain why things have been taking so long. We talk a bit about the last year and what's changed and what is to come. Enjoy! | 10 4 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 64 - Final Episode | Well, its that time. Time again for another, and final, Finding Japan episode by yours truly. It took a while but in this episode, I say goodbye to Japan and all of the fun times that we had. At nearly two hours long, this episode highlights some of my favorite parts of Japan by revisiting clips from prior episodes. Come revisit the podcast with me as we tour through the experiences I had, things I learned, and people I have met. But rather than give a long-winded overview of the episode, just listen in and enjoy. Details about the future are also enclosed. Thanks again to all of my friends, all of the listeners and contributors to the podcast, everyone who guided me and helped my find my way through the land of the rising sun. This was truly an amazing life experience and I will never forget it. Finding Japan has been archived at archive.org for posterity. This site will cease to exist at some point in the future though I will do my best to maintain the feed. Check archive.org for all of the episodes, including prologues to the podcast. Thank you all. | 3 1 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 63 - Wrapping It Up | Photo taken at the Panasonic Center in Ariake, Tokyo, Japan. Cardboard dinosaurs rule! Ok, well not really wrapping it up quite yet. Just some thoughts on paying my last rent payment here in Tokyo, a small request to all listeners, answering a letter to my future self, and more. Che-ch-che-ch-checka-check it out! Show Notes: Paying my last rent payment Listeners - submit your thoughts on your favorite part of FJ Watching an excavator for 2 mins (sorry for leaving that in there) Interlude: "Memories of an Old Dog" by Fireproof Babies Thoughts on video games in Japan Answering future self letter from 1 year ago My Japanese ability Moving out sale Outro: "Uno Two (Instrumental)" by KCentric | 28 6 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 62 - Thoughts During Lunch | Hello everyone. Just a few thoughts I'm tossing out as a catch up episode. Join me for lunch on the bay as we sit, chat, and do a little catching up. Also, in this podcast, I was joined by a special feline guest. Tune in here. Show Notes (none because I am lazy tonight) | 18 6 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 61 - All Sound Tour | You asked for it, you got it. Straight from my (old) studio to your ears. This episode is 100% sound tour. Put on a pair of nice headphones and sit back to relax to the sounds of the Japan. The following sounds have been recorded during the last year or so and have been collected for your listening enjoyment. Show Notes: Short Intro Clip1: 2007-05-31 Riding the Yurakuchou Line Clip2: 2007-09-19 Ariake TOC Building 7-11 Guy with Music Clip3: 2007-06-01 Crows at Waseda University Clip4: 2007-10-08 Watching Aural Expression Class Video Clip5: 2008-01-18 Singing Lame SMAP Songs in Class Clip6: 2007-07-07 Watching Tokyo Bousaikan (Disaster Preparedness Center) Smoke Video Clip7: 2007-07-15 Awesome French Elevator Music at Doutour Coffee Clip8: 2007-12-16 Chilling at a Club in Kobe Talking about Cats with Awesome Funk Music in the Background (Guest Appearance: Terrance from Kobe Beef) Clip9: 2007-12-16 Kobe Planetarium Presentation Clip10: 2008-04-05 Tokyo Giants Game Clip11: 2007-09-20 Sumo Tournament Match Clip12: 2007-08-08 Inside the Shinkanesen (Accelerating with Train Announcements) Clip13: 2008-04-07 Kanamara Matsuri (a.k.a. Kawasaki P***s Festival) Clip14: 2008-04-06 Crazy Sounding Cement Mixer Clip15: 2008-02-10 Cacophonous Sounds in Iidabashi (with commentary) Clip16: 2007-07-28 Drumming in a Small Park in Shinjuku | 9 5 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 60 - Lunch in Ariake | I feel like its quiet time. Join me for lunch in Ariake as I talk about what's been going on with me over the past few weeks. Show Notes: Intro - my favorite 7-11 guy Quick Overview of What's Been Up Some Hakone ropeway / cable car Audio Sounds like a spaceship docking bay, for real Interlude - Unmoored (Again) by Fourstones (via ccmixter.org) Some discussion about my visa problems earlier this month | 15 4 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 59 - Saxophone Train | You'll have to wait until the end to get to the saxophone train on this one. No cheating and no fastforwarding. If so you'll miss plenty, including some catch up chat, thoughts on what's been keeping me so busy, and a beer review. :D Show Notes: What's been going on Linda's Arrival Work Meeting up with Saya Meeting up with Scott and Karamoon New Listeners Responding to Blog Comments Projects Economics, finance, and work-related stuff Explaination of how I'd like to keep learning Kanji (help me out) Drink Review Kamakura Beer Daibutsu is there Saxophone train | 11 3 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 58 - Let’s Tokyu Hands | Ever wonder what its like to sit in someone's pocket as they walk around Tokyo?? Now is your chance to find out! In this episode, I take a commute to Tokyu Hands leaving the recorder on for the full monty. I also talk about two fairly interesting topics. If you're into sound tours, you'll enjoy this episode. Show Notes: Pre-show - explanation of show format Current Laundry Setup Screwing around with my laundry machine Walk to Kuramae Hanging out with Scott from Tokyo Calling Needed the de-stressing from my visa issues Talking about co-habitation with the fiancee Quick stop at Lawsons (19:00) Cement truck turning sound Brief explanation of numbers on train maps Kuramae to Iidabashi (9 minutes edited out) Construction warnings Really annoying alien sound Running into the same guy who sold me food the day before Iidabashi to Ikebukuro (42:00 - 51:45) Trying to find the right exit Talking about usage of strange English The Bic Camera audio Assault! (45:00) Almost going to McDonalds for coffee Sonna no kankei nai advertisement (51:00) Tokyu Hands Valentine's Day explosion! | 16 2 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 57 - Japan Makes You Busy | Let's get deep again. I tried to mix it up with some pleasant thoughts, some interesting sights, and of course, always deep deep riveting commentary from yours truly (sarcasm goes to 11, you know). Show Notes: Some thoughts about Saizeriya Topic: Japan Makes You Busy A bit about my lifestyle Spending my time on the computer "The Four Hour Separation" 1 hr of screwing around 1 hr of reading 1 hr of art 1 hr of life [Musical Break] Why is it necessary? Opportunity overload 6 hours spent doing nothing this weekend Putting more "real" in realtime Train announcer gets on my nerves Escalator Apologizers Some Closing Thoughts Music - "Atlantic Midnight" by Jaspertine from CCMixter.org Music - "Drugstar" by Pthalo | 7 2 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 15 | VideoEpisode 56 - Yuri-Pole Position | Another short video post. This time, lets ride the Yurikamome 8-bit style! Enjoy! | 3 2 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 55 - Snow Day Alcohol Talk | It's snowing in Tokyo, so what better way to spend it than bring you all with me on a trip to McDonalds for breakfast. In this episode, I tough it out through the muck and power-line slush bombs to chat about Japanese people and alcohol consumption. This episode is not very organized but there's plenty to listen to and some music mixed in as well. Enjoy. Show Notes Part One It's snowing The guy who drank too much last night Yakiniku 食べ放題、飲み放題 Japanese paramedics Intermission "Fixing My Brain" by Gillies (from CCMixter.org) Ordering breakfast at McDonalds "Colors Shifting" by Electric West (from CCMixter.org) Part Two Throwup girl in the train station San Nakji's interview series, I'm next Phone call Bought some Dekavita | 2 2 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 17 | VideoEpisode 54 - Another Zen Moment | See, the great thing about only having work now is that I have time to do stuff like this. This video is from the Osaka Aquarium, one of the largest in the world according to their website. In this clip, we get a good view of the main tank for a few moments while I rested amidst the gaggles of children. | 31 1 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 53 - Finding Guitar Hero | Probably the fast episode I have ever put together, but a good one at that. I've got two main chunks of goodness in this episode. First, I talk a little about the CEO at my company and how I see Japanese companies changing. Second, we go on a sound tour of arcades in Ikebukuro looking for Guitar Hero. Will we find it? Listen in. Show Notes: Working full time CEO Story Ikebukuro Arcade "Sound Tour" | 30 1 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 52 - The Overcoat | A little different approach today. I take a stab at story telling and answer a letter from my future self. It finally came today! Show Notes: School's out! Well almost Answering a letter to my future self The Overcoat Dan Carlin's website WNYC Radio Lab website Brief comment about the awards thing | 26 1 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 51 - Awards and Haircuts (Redo) | This is for all of you who have had trouble downloading the latest episode. I put a link in the blog post itself as well, which I think confused Feedburner. So because of that, here's a quick repost. If you've already downloaded, I apologize but I wanted to make sure the people who were having trouble are able to get it. | 18 1 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 51 - Awards and Haircuts | Perhaps I should have accepted an award for the worst haircut-cast ever. At any rate, we've got two topics for you this time around. A bit about the award discussion from the previous blog post but even more from the center of cheap haircuts in Japan, QB House. Show Notes: Leopard upgrade completed Throat hurts - getting a cold? Great discussion on the site, thanks! Award Discussion Make sure you check out JapanPodcasters.com Brief listing of some of the podcasts there We need to resurrect the Kobe Beef show Haircut at QB House QB House Website Haircut costs only 1000円, how can you lose! Prior art: Rich Pav's Hair Cut Cast from May 2005 Notes about audio Television sounding thing - radio Fascination with vacuuming my head A little weather and language discussion The entire audio clip available here: QB House Full | 14 1 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 50 - Back in Japan | I'm back in Japan finally. After a wonderfully great time with my family and friends, I'm back to the grind here in Tokyo. A quick update of my travels and some brief impressions after leaving and then returning to this country. Enjoy! Show Notes: Arrived back in Japan Been up for 22 and 1/2 hours New toys from Christmas Continental Airlines entertainment systems Getting Into Tokyo - Narita Express vs. Keisei Skyliner My occluded view of Mount Fuji Impressions on leaving Japan Impressions on coming back to Japan | 6 1 08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 49 - Holiday Message | Nothing fancy, just a quick holiday message to all of you. Happy Holidays! | 20 12 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 48 - Coffee Episode III | Can you believe it, another coffee episode already!!! This time recorded completely live over Skype, warts and all. Joined by the illustrious Fred, we talk about his new coffee machine as well as do a short sound tour of some places to drink coffee in Japan. Come along for the ride with us and grab your cup of coffee! Show Notes: Explosive laughing intro Fred's rant about podcasts People who talk about how they make podcasts on their podcasts Joking about the FindingJapan DVD Reminiscing about "Netiquette" Why we're talking about coffee Talking about the previous original video episodes before the official FJ episodes started The original coffee episode - Episode 21 Doutor Single Service Packs Fred's New Coffee Machine A magical tour of Fred brewing coffee Discussion of froth vs. no froth with automatic coffee makers Baronette flavored coffee taste test Japan Coffee Place Audio Sound Tour Review Clip 1 - Starbucks in Asakusa Clip 2 - Campus Coffee Shop at Waseda University Clip 3 - Excelsior in Ikebukuro Clip 4 - Doutor in Ueno Station Hot and Cold Perhaps a non-coffee related show with Fred about Japan in the future?? | 2 12 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 25 | VideoEpisode 47 - Tokyo Game Show | Short video clip from the Tokyo Game Show. I only had my cell phone on me that day so I was only able to get some small video. No narration or commentary, just some sights from the show. Hope you enjoy! | 27 11 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 46 - Communication | Another cell phone cast recorded last week sometime, maybe even two weeks ago. I spend some time talking about learning how to communicate and the purpose of language learning. Show Notes Walking back from Kamata A lot of talk about "communication" and "communicating" Check out Rich Pav's Japlish Podcast | 23 11 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 45 - Drink Review II | Alex and I had an impromptu drink review session after returning from Asakusa last week to grab some yaki-niku. Listen as we bring you through ears through a journey of thirst quenching Chu-Hi's from both Suntory and Kirin. Some non-serious topics to lighten me up after this crazy week of studying and exams. Enjoy! Show Notes: Intro by Alex Dueling Suntory and Kirin drinks Suntory 196 Ume Kirin Apple Nouveau Chu-Hi Final Fantasy Potion Drink | 17 11 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 44 - The Multitasking Episode | In this episode, I get the podcasting done while commuting back home after a long day of work on Monday. Since time is short, its time to find creative ways to squeeze in the content. I think this format works and if you can get over the cell phone quality, I think its a keeper! Hope you enjoy! Thanks for the feedback on episode 43 Maximizing time with my new schedule The 7AM to 8PM schedule Study on the train between school and work Podcast on the phone between work and train and school and train Trains stopped Got hit with two late trains on Monday Nice to see the daylight in the morning while on the train Get out of jail free card paper for being late Addendum to Office Episode Document check sheet (sorry for the wind in Tsukishima) Spa flyers Short trip to Lawson's Scaring people by talking to myself Funny in-store music Nice "LAWSONS!!!" right when I left Talking about my things I want to do list | 3 11 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 43 - My Responsibility | This show is a little heavy. I talk about culture and learning about what my responsibility to my country might be. A little retrospective, a little forward looking, and a little bit of Oni Koroshi sake for the show. I also throw in an audio bit from the redubbed GI Joe PSAs that I love. Enjoy. Show Notes: Shout out to San who's closer to Japan right now Discerning Asian languages Culture Distance from my country Cultural interactions within Japan My responsibility back to my country Quick story about umbrella (somewhere in there) GI Joe PSA - Japanese Version (watch on YouTube) | 27 10 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 42 - Worst Podcast Ever! | I'm in a funk, there are no two ways around it. Well, actually just been really busy and have been enjoying the relaxing with the little free time I have. I do manage to bang out a few topics. Hope it works. Here we go. Show Notes: Japanese school boys Thanks for the 作文 feedback Better Japanese support in OS X Leopard Japanese-English dictionary and thesaurus Feature list WWWJDIC Online Dictionary Windows XP Japanese Input Help Shimizu Mega-city Pyramid Wikipedia link Hope it gets built before I die Discovery Channel Extreme Engineering Interactive Site Link Meta Talk Ronald Donald MacDonald Coffee episode update Should I start a Mogulus Channel? Almost bought an iPod touch | 21 10 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 41 - Drink Review | Alex and I do a quick drink review, I reflect on my life for a hot second, and I attempt to talk about Japanese schoolboys but don't quite get to it. Banging out the podcasts in less than an hour now, get this episode while its fresh! Show Notes Genki Intro Audio Clip from Monday night New School Schedule and feeling mellow on a Monday evening Nice to see Tokyo skyline at night again Since Monday Stressing out What does one want to do with their life? "Reading" David Whyte's - The Heart Aroused Celebrating a difficult week complete with a Shirokirin Beer Drink Review 2 SA's - Calpis Fizz Light Style 1/2 SA - Nikka, Natural Mizuwari Trying to do math while drinking whiskey NEWSFLASH: Convenience stores in Japan are the first place new drinks are released! Check out Way of the Grape Next topic will have to wait | 5 10 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 40 - Sumo Zombies | Scott Lockman's latest episode beat me to the punch on the sumo update, but his update on sumo was much more informative than mine so go check it out. If you want audio from sumo, you can get that in this next episode. Recorded right after I was able to get my cord fixed last week, I touch upon sumo and a few other topics. Enjoy! Show Notes: More about my power cord AppleCare rules! Homelessness in Japan The guy under the bridge The guy who asked me for "hungry" The guys who live in Internet cafe's Only in Japan - strangest vending machine to date Sumo Wrestling Audio clip Zombie cleaning crew Audio clip | 2 10 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 39 - Fire Hazard | On my way to Akiba (Akihabara), I speak on a few topics after discovering a huge fire hazard in my apartment. Find out more by listening below. Show Notes: Walking to Akihabara Crazy thing with my power adapter A little gear-talk School starts on October 1st for me - skipping a level, suicide? Politics Too much politics research Waiting for Scott's "What's Up America" Being away from home and how it affects your views Darth Vader Looking like him Dream I had about him when I was a kid Tattoos in Japan More insights on work Emergency rescue kit bag Sleepy time Power using MS Excel My rant about "Lifehacking" The podcaster biorhythm Follow-up story | 27 9 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 34 | VideoEpisode 38 - Deer of Miyajima | Man and beast collide... well not really. But we did get to hang out with some deer. Enjoy the sites of us interacting with some deer on the island of Miyajima during our vacation in this quick 3 minute video, complete with mellow music for your deer-viewing enjoyment. Notice he goes right for the star in that photo! | 16 9 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 37 - Dictionary Games | Seems like this turned out to be the review episode. A Kanji dictionary, a great g4 video podcast to share, and some podcasting software review action. Is this podcast really about Japan?! And why do I mention sheep being on the radio? Find out if you listen here. Let's go! Show Notes: Intro Getting motivated to bring out some more content Review of Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten DS Dictionary Who should get it Where you can get it Play Asia Features G4 Code Monkeys Great clip from a great online show iTunes RSS Feed here Other G4 podcasts Review of Ubercaster Podcasting tool Great functionality Poor performance in editing Update: Turning off waveforms really helps though Update: Ubercaster is now available for a discount, see the site for details. | 12 9 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 36 - Movies and Mt Fuji | Alex joins in for the conversation about our Mt. Fuji experiences. We get sidetracked a little bit first with a few random topics: movie theaters in Asakusa, and the saga of our washing machine. I originally thought this would be a multi-topic episode including the review of the Nintendo DS dictionary and Ubercaster, but alas it wouldn't fit - we'll save that for episode 37. Picture above is for SanNakji: "Yes those are vending machines". Alex and I hope you enjoy this nearly hour long episode! Show Notes: Intro Movie Theaters in Asakusa Washing Machine Troubles Mount Fuji Getting to Mount Fuji Stations Descent Wrap Up | 9 9 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 37 | VideoEpisode 35 - Yakiimo Truck | One of my most favorite characters in this neighborhood is the Yaki Imo delivery truck. Yaki means grilled and Imo means potato. In this case, this guy sells grilled sweet potatoes. But his method of cruising through the neighborhood should not be taken likely. This man is a pro, even if the recording skips just a little bit. Unfortunately, we haven't seen Mr. Yaki Imo in a while so we're not quite sure if we will ever get to eat one. But if he comes back, rest assured I will be the first one on my block waiting for that sweet delicious treat. Enjoy! Oh, and here are the lyrics to the song. Let's all sing along. 焼き芋〜〜、焼き芋〜〜〜、石焼〜〜〜〜〜〜き芋〜〜〜、焼き芋〜〜〜 yakimo~~, yakiimo~~~, ishi ya~~~~kiimo~~~~~, yakiimo~~~~ roasted potato, roasted potato, stone roasted potato, roasted potato | 4 9 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 38 | VideoEpisode 34 - Tanabata Festival In Asakusa | This is a short slideshow of some sights and sounds captured in Asakusa during the Tanabata festival. The history and meaning behind the Tanabata festival is quite romantic and really quite interesting. Check out some more info here on Wikipedia. Enjoy the mellow music and shades of blue as I walk you through Asakusa to Ueno taking in the sights and sounds of the festival. This is a larger frame size file but the download should be very short, only about 4MB or so. Make sure you download and view it. Viewing it here on the website will not let it display in its full size. If you like this format, please let me know. I would love to get some feedback on it. This type of video podcast is very fun to put together and doesn't take much time. I'm using what I've learned from Stuart Isset's piece I featured back in April. | 1 9 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 33 - Music and Carbonation | I think this is one of the longest episodes to date. Chock full o' music and my limited insight, I think this episode also clocks in at one of the finest sounding episodes to date. Sweet sounds and tender music, you get this episode at a slightly higher quality (due to the high music content) for absolutely nothing! Show Notes: Intro Katakana difficulty and reading tips My personal story about Katakana difficulty Some tips Don't assume they're English words Translate after saying it Have fun Regain Commercial Japanese commercials in general Original blog post about Regain commercial from Marxy Link to YouTube Regain commercial What commercials say about the culture of a society Work / life balance - is it really here in Japan? Only in Japan Special guest joins us for Only in Japan Links to the signs Reading 1 Reading 2 Reading 3 Reading 4 Music: "The World is Moving Too Fast" by Drye Glassmeyer courtesy of The PodsafeMusic Network Japanese music for inspiration YMCK Description of Nerd-core music? YMCK Official website Samples "8 Bit Magical Tour" "Kira Kira" Marxy Marxy's Blog Marxy's Site with Music Links Sample Track "Beaus in Disarray" on Creation Centre website Outro Thanks to people who have commented Outro track - "Neoplasticism vs. De Stijl" by Marxy | 27 8 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 32 - Back in Tokyo | I'm BACK in the saddle again! I'm BACK!!! I've had that song stuck in my head all day. Get whatever song you have stuck in your head right out by listening to this next episode and me making excuses why I've been gone so long. I semi-experiment with new podcasting software that will "hopefully" make me more "productive" and provide a small music interlude at the end related to the movie Akira. Show Notes Introduction and updates Where's Calling Tokyo Calling New setup for podcasting Vacation Overview Things I notice being back in Tokyo Tokyo is really clean I feel at home in Tokyo, I think I've turned into "scary man" Indonesian Gamelan Music Clip from Akira Performance from ad-hoc matsuri in Shinjuku | 20 8 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 31 - Update Before Fuji-san | Just a brief update before Fuji-san. We're heading out today but I wanted to get a quick response to the last episode out, talk briefly about Disneyland, and just say hi. Having lots of fun here in Tokyo and surrounding areas. For Fuji-san, we will be taking some audio at each stop so you all can get the heavy breathing experience as we attempt to climb to the top. More to come next week! Stay tuned! | 26 7 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 30 - Bikeless / Tanabata | Having fun without a bike, find out why in today's episode. Also, I talk a little bit about Tanabata and share some audio from the Tanabata parade in Asakusa from about 3 weeks ago. Lots has been going on but we'll keep the episodes coming out. Enjoy. Show Notes: Playing Battlefield 2142 A few more comments on Japanese rain Getting my bike stolen Japanese police My bike description Hanko or no hanko Dealing with the feelings afterwards Tanabata Short description of the mythology behind Tanabata Audio tour of the parade Brief update on what's going on Big vacation coming up Thanks for the downloads More material post-vacation coming | 20 7 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 29 - Coffee Episode II | Its coffee time again. Join me for round two of my discussion with Fred on the finer points of Japanese coffee. If you're not sick of hearing the word "coffee" yet, you will be after this episode. Grab a cup and enjoy! Show Notes: Milk teas, bubble teas, what's going on here? Fred thinks Doutor is the best in the world In-shop Doutor iced coffee discussion with Alex Internet Cafes / Denny's Coffee (Millstone) Coffee Crown Trend of instant coffee This was recorded a while ago so my outro comments may seem out of context. Hope you like it anyway. Cheers! | 6 7 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 44 | VideoEpisode 28 - Playing Initial D | Video killed the podcast star. Well, I'm certainly no star, so I guess I have nothing to worry about. Today's episode comes in video form. This little gem has been on my hard drive for over 2 months! Finally time to get it out as I rev up for some more audio goodness. In this episode, you can watch me play Sega Initial-D, my favorite arcade game at the moment. Why is it my favorite? Well because I have a little Initial-D IC card license that allows me to save my progress. So it's much more satisfying to know that my 100円 coins are going to a pointless accomplishment that can be tracked, rather than just a pointless activity. Caution, this is poorly edited and for video game nerds only. Editing my camera phone footage doesn't exactly jive with Final Cut Pro at the moment. But do check out the vibration effect from the camera phone. It's like you're really there playing the game with me! (^_^) | 28 6 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 27 - Attempt #3 | Its been 8 days, what's wrong with me?! Find out more by tuning in here. I share a little bit of my personal life and plans for the next few days, talk about some scary little Japanese girl, answer questions about Japan and more. 行きましょう！ Show Notes Quick update Short story about Harajuku girls Planning my summer vacation Kobe Beef episode with some ideas. School update Presentation trip with my professor Lessons learned from his teaching style Sound scene (seeing) tour: Japanese Little League Game Story: Scary Little Girls!! Only in Japan: Pineapple Kit Kat Click for a larger picture Questions: Answered today: "Easy or hard to meet Japanese people on more than just a superficial level?" (From San from SNA Podcast) Quick chat about my friend Japanese people really similar to American people in "worldliness" Tangent: Youth Culture article in BusinessWeek 6-month future self question: "What do you think American can learn from Japan and what thing would you like to see in your own country that Japan has?" (Also from San from the SNA Podcast) Wrap up and thanks | 24 6 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 26 - Matsuri | Show Notes: Quick Updates Catching up with school because of Hashika Been in Japan over 90 days! Japanese rain, its different, for real! Preparing for summer vacation Matsuri How I got involved in this matsuri Photos from the Sanja Matsuri Outfits / Tabi / Happi Photos from the matsuri I was in Mikoshi What I had to do Shaking the Mikoshi around in front of a guys house (Kim Chi break) The aftermath "Ssa Ssa Ssa Sssaaaa" guy What I think I learned Impromptu Only in Japan - neighborhood music New Finding Japan Segment LTMFS (listen to find out what this means) Way to ask your own question Email: christopher [a t] findingjapan [d o t] com Voicemail: check the sidebar Outro and thanks | 15 6 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 25 - Office Episode | The office episode has finally arrived, 6 weeks after I had started to do the recordings. Get the skinny on my first 6 weeks in a Japanese office, differences I have found, comparisons I was able to make. Though I'm sure there is much more I could have said, I at least hope that the parts I left in are interesting. Show Notes: Introduction Japanese office observations My initial viewpoint - short history American cube-life Physical layout - Oobeya seido (大部屋制度) Organizational structure Vibe of a Japanese office Speed of response Attentiveness to particular details Meeting formalities Planning things ahead IT worker stereotypes Slouch guy Hypochondriac guy Sweaty guy Japanese working hours Prevalence of company commitment Omiage as an example of this commitment East coast US / Japan time difference advantage Side Topic: Yurikamome Peeps? Things I take for granted Knowing when you are understood Explaining complex topics Outro and thanks Tokyo Calling Kobe Beef Show HerroFlomJapan Hello From Michigan SNA Podcast Life in the Shadows Dicks and Janes Music featured in the podcast - Pthalo (scroll to bottom to find albums) | 8 6 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 24 - Interview Project | This episode is about my Japanese language ability, or lack thereof. This week in class, we had to perform our second interview project where we interview students on campus. This time, I brought the recorder along. In this episode, I share the actual interview audio and reflect a bit on my ability after being in Japan for over two months now. Show notes: Time shifted intro (What day is it really?) Interview audio Intro with Alex (from France) First interview attempt (got "nai"-ed by 3 girls) Second Interview Third Interview Fourth Interview Some reflections after listening to the episode myself | 1 6 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 23 - Miracle Fruit | This was something I had been meaning to do since I arrived in Japan. Alex and I headed out to Namco Namja Town in Ikebukuro (map) this past Saturday in search of miracle fruit. I heard about miracle fruit about 6 months ago and was surprised to hear that it was available in Japan. I wrote myself a note and that note popped up in front of me this weekend so off we went. Miracle fruit is the common name of Synsepalum dulcificum, a berry containing miraculin which has the power to stop sour tastes in their tracks. Alex and I went out to find the Miracle Fruit Cafe in Namja Town and this episode is our audio experience of trying miracle fruit. Instead of show notes. I'm posting pictures and links here. The show is just us talking. Show Notes: Miracle Fruit Wikipedia entry Namja Town website Links to Miracle Fruit photos from the restaurant | 28 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 50 | VideoEpisode 22 - The Battle Boat | A short only-in-japan video episode segment to take you over the weekend hump. I've often walked by the Sumida River and have seen this very strange-looking boat sailing up and down the river. I stealthily hunted it down and have finally published here for the world to see. Alternate video link (Google Video) | 25 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 21 - Coffee Show Part 1 | The coffee episode had landed! Well at least 1/2 half of it. Fred joins me live from Times Square as we discuss the ins and outs of various coffee experiences in Japan. Scott Lockman provides a cameo from Allez France in Tokyo. It's always interesting in these parts. And since I ended up having much more material than I anticipated, this special will be brought to you in two, yes two, episodes. Combine a little bit of background noise from the skype / laptop mic, and voila ... a perfectly listen-able episode for your coffee curiosity satisfying pleasure. Enjoy! Show Notes: Intro Music - "Hologram Jesus" by Pthalo Coffee Music - "Coffee Man" by Calvin Owens The "Detroit Story" Some high-level comparisons of coffee shops in Japan Starbucks Discussion on sugar types Coffee even at Mos Burger McDonalds Allez France (direct from Scott Lockman of Tokyo Calling) Vending Machine Coffee Boss coffee - since 1992 Vending machine photo link we discuss "Black" coffee Coffee cans What makes vending machine coffee great Machine brewed coffee - Flavia machine at work | 23 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 52 | VideoEpisode 20 - Riding the Yurikamome | Original photo here (used via CC license) In this video episode, come along with me and ride the Yurikamome most of the way to Shinbashi. Loosely edited, but you will get to see many of the strange buildings with unique architecture along the way, including the Fuji Television building. The "red" dot is my camera light, not a UFO. Enjoy! | 21 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 19 - Commute-cast and More | You better believe it .... this episode is action-packed and quite possibly, the longest FJ episode to date! I managed to fit in the commute cast (complete with official PASMO song), dinner boats, slip on shoes, podcasting pre-cursors, supermarkets, transvestite bands, and more. What started as a short stint in the park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon turned into a full blown episode. Though its a bit windy and I often "pop" the microphone, I hope you all still enjoy. Show Notes: I screw up the episode number so I substituted it with a mac voice Commute Cast Material from last month's discussion with Alex PASMO song - watch it here JR Rail Pass Student Passes The One Card I Need - PASMO Student Pass Dinner boats in the Sumida River Slip-on-shoes More Talk about Podcasts Pre-cursors to podcasting Listener material from Japan NPR's Lost and Found Sound - The Vietnam Tapes of Lance Corporal Michael A. Baronowski When this project is finished, I will put it on archive.org Japanese supermarket experiences My latest tachinomi experience A night without English Meeting the manager of a transvestite synth-pop band Only in Japan - Playboy Logo branded items Closing Various thanks 10% of FJ traffic last month came from Tokyo Calling Request to other Japan podcasters | 17 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 18 - 18 Minute Update | Just a quick 18 minute update for episode 18. I really didn't plan it that way, weird. One main topic and a bunch blabber divided into two parts. Enjoy! Show Notes: Part I - AM Planned material ahead, ごめん、ね！ Coffee episode audio is recorded Quick stop at the conbini Police officers - part two Thinking more with an open mind Boredoms - buy the album at the iTMS Part II - PM What's going on at work More open mind blabber "Summer Madness" by Kool and The Gang | 14 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 17 - Walking Through Asakusa | I took the chance during this rainy day to walk around Asakusa and just spout random thoughts into my cell phone. Listening back, it wasn't all that bad so I'm posting it as a podcast episode. This one feels a little more intimate and fun I think. Plus, there is all sorts of great things to listen for in the background. Enjoy! Show Notes: Another haircut at QB House Looking for headphones in Asakusa Eating breakfast at Denny's (menu photo 1 / menu photo 2) Comments on restaurants in general Children's book I'm reading Link to Amazon.co.jp page for it Coffee episode coming soon Comments on various store fronts I pass by | 6 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 16 - Medicine and Parks | Is it true? Is it true? An audio episode?! Yes, I know its been a while but I pulled up my bootstraps and got myself in front of the mic for a good hour today. After editing out all the coughs and false starts, this one comes down to about 41 minutes or so. A full episode follows, complete with a brief sound scene at Mos Burger, only in Japan segment, and two big topics. Listen to my gravel-like voice in true stereo as I whisk you through the Japanese medical experience and my reflections on the park. Show Notes: Golden Week and what I've been doing Being sick in Japan This cold is kicking my a*s Pharmacy / medicine store experience Japanese medicine Japanese clinic experience Armpit thermometer Comments on Japanese health-care system Park visit today Had to get out of the house Listening to Jazz while biking through Tokyo Comparing Japan to New York Mos Burger Sound Scene [3 mins] Only in Japan: How many dogs can you take to the park?? Japanese park teaches me to relax and enjoy life Another story about my bike Proof that I'm not the only manly-man riding a mama-chari bike Updates Computer work Yurikamome video footage New episodes Hi's and Hello's Rock concert podcast ending [it takes for ever] | 4 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 57 | VideoEpisode 15 - Biking Through Tokyo | Yeeeesssssssss. Here it is. The episode you've all been waiting for, "Biking Through Tokyo". I hope I didn't talk it up too much prior to this. I edited this over the weekend. The footage had been sitting on my drive for about 2 weeks, just dying to be put to good use. I had to be a little creative with the editing since alot of it was bumping. It's alot like drinking too much coffee the way it runs now. Please don't eat anything while watching this. Hopefully you will enjoy some of the sights of Tokyo as I did on that day. Oh, and instead of shownotes, here are delicious time-code notes where I've marked points of interest that I don't mention in audio. Show Notes 0:00 - Fancy-schmancy intro as always 1:00 - The dreaded Nissan's Business Japanese makes a guest appearance 1:06 - Note the super-secure bike lock 1:37 - じてんしゃ is Japanese for Bicycle (pronounced "ji-tenn-sha") 1:47 - That is a highway on/off ramp 2:18-2:25 - If you look closely, you can almost see the kitty-cat sticker on the bell. LOL 2:58 - Ferrari 3:40 - Notice how many different types of sidewalks there are yet?? 3:47 - I pedal through people in Asakusa-bashi w/o touching my feet on the ground - You have no idea how hard it was to navigate that with one hand and film at the same time. ^_^ 4:22 - The Asahi Beer building Special thanks to Gustav Young from Oddioblender for letting me use the track "Frantic Footsteps" for this video. Please check out the site for more great glitchy nerdcore music. I listen to this album constantly! Alternative video link (Google Video) | 2 5 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 58 | VideoEpisode 14 - Riding the Tokyo Monorail | (Photo used with Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 License - Original) A few days ago, I had to head down to the Tokyo Regional Immigration bureau. What fun!! However, there was one redeeming result of the trip: I was able to ride the Tokyo Monorail. I'm fairly familiar with most of Tokyo's transportation systems, but I had never ridden this particular line. It was a great experience. If you visit Tokyo, I recommend you make it a point to ride this line, second to the Shinkansen of course. What is different about the Tokyo Monorail from other lines is it is completely above ground. Sure, most of the JR lines are as well, but the Monorail soars above neighborhoods and between buildings - a feat that the JR lines do not accomplish. When you ride JR, you see track and rocks as you ride in an area specifically laid out for train travel. When you ride the Tokyo Monorail, you literally fly past buildings and over people as they tend to their daily lives. I hope you enjoy this short video. I had to use a little different method to put it together since it came primarily off my cell phone. | 28 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 13 - Tokyo Calling Crossover | This episode is the first ever, Finding Japan Tokyo Calling crossover episode. Not really sure what else to call it. I met up with Scott Lockman from Tokyo calling a few weekends back. We spent very little time getting to know each other since we had already known each other through our respective podcasts. However, we did share the common interest in technology, the future of podcasting and more. This interview occurred in a noisy hotel front coffee shop in Tokyo. If you can stand the background noise, please listen. Enjoy! Show notes: A brief chat on the creative process and writing every day Formats of podcasts / how Tokyo Calling developed Why do people listen to podcasts? Privacy and the Internet Future of social networking I'd like to thank Scott for taking time out of his busy day to chat. Hopefully this won't be the last of such episodes. | 23 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 60 | VideoEpisode 12 - Hot Dog Animals | Last weekend Alex and I attempted to make hot dog animals based on the instructions on the back. How well did we do? Find out here. This is a short video on the results we were able to achieve with our limited culinary skills. Alternative video link (Google Video) | 21 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 11 - Bike-capades and Yaki-Soba | I should have given the cops some Yaki-imo. Confused?! Well listen in to today's episode and get acquainted with the Yaki-imo truck vendor, the cops, and my dinner. This episode comes straight from my kitchen while I cook up one of the only dishes I know how to make here in Japan, Yaki-soba. MMmmm. ^_^ Show Notes Making Yaki Soba Busy as sin, so I can't mail anything right now ^_^ More about GTD Vitalist has a Mobile Site Buying a bicycle - Mama Chari Getting pulled over by the cops, on a bike Bear with me while my food cooks LOUDLY - it doesn't quite work well in audio does it? Should I post the TokyoCalling duel interview clips? Helmet's "Size Matters" in Japan has two bonus tracks Dark side of podcasting Terrance is a patient guy And I start using street lingo while explaining it, what's with that? Listen to A Year in Japan's episode on Love Hotels Yaki-imo やきいも Truck Recording - Stone Roasted Potatoes | 16 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 62 | VideoEpisode 10 - Cell Phone Code Reader | Ok well, maybe not a full episode, but a short one minute clip I put together before heading out for the night. Earlier today, Alex and I tore up Tokyo by bike. Stopping at Akihabara to get an Ebi-Filet, I began playing with my cell phone's bar code reader. I was amazed at how fast it read the bar code. The bar codes (also known as QR codes) are in a square format and contain text information, usually a URL. In this case, McDonald's publishes all of their nutritional information this way. Want to know how many pounds that Choco-Pie is going to add on? Just whip out your keitai and check it out. Man, I do love Japan! Enjoy! Upcoming episodes for those who cannot wait to hear, I've got some great material coming up: Getting stopped by the cops on bike in Japan, making elephant characters out of hotdogs (video), and my first full week in a Japanese office. Stay tuned. Alternative video link (Google Video) | 14 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 9 - The Lo-Fi Episode | Today's episode is very much like a one-way telephone conversation. Recording with my cellular phone, I do a quick update and introduce a few subjects very briefly, not getting into too much depth. This is more of an experiment than a proper episode. I hope it meets the approval of your ears in terms of quality. What do you think? Is this quality level too annoying? It's super convenient for commute-casting. Also, there's something more natural about recording into a cell phone, so strange. I'm undecided. Show Notes: Wednesday = hump day? Doing the podcast on my keitai (cell phone) Regular schedule in Japan has started Will do an entire episode on coffee in Japan Will do an entire episode on first week in a Japanese office Keeping in touch with friends (Gmail / Keitai symbiosis) Getting Things Done Vitalist Will this be a full episode? - Yes. | 11 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 64 | VideoEpisode 8 - Hanami Video | (Sorry for the late posting, was on the run to my first day of work this morning!) ^_^ Yes yes, another video episode. I have finally nailed down my video episode creation workflow so this isn't all that time-consuming to put together anymore. Hopefully I will have time to do more in the future, however with work starting I have a feeling we'll be getting quite a few more commute-casts in the near future. Anyway, onto the video... This video contains some various clips of Sakura blossoms I have taken over the past week. Tokyo has had a fairly long (at least from my perspective) cherry blossom viewing season. I believe it peaked early last week, but even this weekend there was some cherry blossoms still out for the viewing. Some of these clips were taken as late as last Friday, when I did the podcast from the park. As a bonus, I've also put in Alex trying a little bit of we dubbed "juice-box sake" (photo above). These are available in almost all convenience stores. I haven't had any sort of liquid in this type of container since I was a child and I had them put in my lunch box. Drinking sake out of these was quite a weird trip back in time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video. Cheers! Alternative video link (Google Video) | 9 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 7 - Humility | Take a stroll with me as I take a walk through a park near where I live and talk a bit about lessons in humility. I have a random conversation with a stranger and share some sounds of Tokyo as I walk home. A short episode coming in at 20 mins and little more personal than the rest before. Highly edited due to wind noise however so please bear with me. Hope you enjoy! Mata! Show Notes: Unwinding in the park Getting a haircut in Japan QB House - 1,000 円 haircut Had to fix my own hair, ha! Working in Ariake The Dream Bridge (picture below) Building numbers in Tokyo - why they exist Humbleness, humility, and humanity Still learning about myself Placement tests Random conversation with fellow park-walker Answering Matt's question on the JR Rail Pass Random sounds and babble for the last 5 minutes on my way home I must have a nice a*s National health insurance Japanesepod101.com It's Friday night! The Dream Bridge in Ariake | 6 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 6 - The Wet Episode | Special guests, raw chicken, bicycle skills and more. Get it all in this episode. Tonight Alex (my trackmate, roommate, and friend) takes a seat at the mic with me for a dualing discussion on the finer points of Japan. As we dry off from the monsoon that seemed to appear from out of nowhere earlier today. Today's episode comes in around 30 minutes long and I even cut out the part about commuting around the city to post on another rainy day. Enjoy! Show notes and references: Intro - Never again will I buy a cheap Chinese umbrella Update Moved to Sumida-ku Hanami last weekend Meiji-jingu video is up Bicycle Sidewalk - check it out Alien registration complete! Foreign Exchange Japanese Bicycle Skeeels Eating Raw Chicken Japan is famous for three types of chickens, Alex explains 生 -> usually means raw 刺 -> but this does too apparently, so watch out! Things You Will Only See in Japan Cute vs. Cool Buta-kun Outro and Thanks | 4 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 67 | VideoEpisode 5 - Meiji-jingu Video | I'm constantly posting from the past it seems. This weekend was busy with hanami activities (and subsequent recovery). I will be posting some video and audio from that as well. However, as promised, here is the Meiji-jingu video from last week. I shot most of this footage from that day. Meiji-jingu is my favorite place to visit when I need some peace and quiet. Right in the heart of Yoyogi park, it never ceases to have a calming and quieting effect on me. Enjoy! Alternative video link (Google Video) | 1 4 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 4 - Hello from Tokyo Tower! | First day back with Internet means instant episode for you all, better late than never. I recorded this episode earlier in the week, Tuesday evening to be exact just before my trackmate Alex arrived in Japan. The next few days were spent trouncing around Tokyo looking for basics like bedding, soap, and food. Enjoy this pre-move in episode ne! ^_^ Show Notes Long day (late post, will be in the process of moving) View from the Tokyo Prince Hotel Jisa-boke and how I get over it Tokyo Tower / Eiffel Tower Moving and dragging my belongs through the streets of Tokyo Using GTD and Vitalist Cool friends help the Tokyo-transition Only in Japan - Egg on pizza is truly incredible (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heavylift/434951327/) Small World - Strange people confluences Terrance's Matsuri Post on KobeBeef Upcoming Video Posts | 30 3 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 3 - Kerpow!! | Today's episode is brought to you by this Dr. Pepper Can and the Pepper Chix (http://www.drpp.jp). Woah! This episode covers a little bit about the website and how to subscribe to the audio versions of this podcast, my trials and tribulations at an Internet cafe in Kamata trying to get some connectivity, Japanese Jehovah Witnesses, the best damn spicy cheeseburger I've ever had, a crazy motorcycle helmet, and more. Also, I divulge a little bit of my Japanese study plan which seems to be working out. Remembering the Kanji, James Heisig, I couldn't remember the name of this book during the episode. Don't know who Oruchuban Ebichu is? Lest your curiosity kill you, find out in this episode. And of course, a quick roundup of some of the best Japanese living podcasts around. Herro Flom Japan, Kobe Beef Show, Tokyo Calling, and A Year in Japan. Check these out. | 23 3 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 2 - The Next Few Days | Hey everyone, sorry for the hurried posting but I'm currently at an Internet cafe and my access to the Internet has been very very sporadic to say the least. I banged out another episode yesterday and kept it aging for a day until I get could some access. So here you go, enjoy. In this episode: Intro music - "Hologram Jesus" by Pthalo Lack of updates - Internet connectivity is down, down I tell you Alien Registration Story Nintendo DS Kanji Dictionary rules!! Found an apartment from TokyoRent.com - yay! Excite Train Transfer Application - http://www.excite.co.jp/transfer/ Shopping in Kawasaki Liquor Store Funniness Fish Market TV Show Interruption And as always, more to come soon. Cheers! | 22 3 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 1 - Welcome to Japan | Day one in Japan and the first official podcast episode is released. Its nearing the completion of my first full day in Japan, and I'm doing everything I can not to go to sleep while I fight this sore throat. ( photo by Sachama [original] CC license) Brief show notes in paragraph form: In the first few hours I randomly met someone who knows a mutual friend of mine, called the Japanese fire department accidentally while trying to place a phone call to a friend, ate cow tongue at a yaki-niku place, and made a few new friends at a tachinomi bar (picture included). Hear about it all in audio form along with my jet-lagged speaking full of uhhs and umms. | 18 3 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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T-minus 25 days | A new audio podcast for you all. I ramble on my way to school and talk about how I should talk about this stuff more. Sound redundant? It is. I think this is more for me to get in the habit and work out my audio-workflow before hitting the ground for real in Japan. Sorry if the audio is a bit wonky. I didn't even think it would be usable until I listened with headphones today. But alas, it seemed salvageable. So here is Monday's podcast, today! Show notes T-Minus 25 Days Yay, podcasting starts again Japanese class update Mid-term Writing recognition vs. listening comprehension Ready for Japan Visa is in Working in Japan Apartment search update Weekend with girlfriend How I'm studying Japanese iFlash http://www.loopware.com/iflash/ Japanese for the Western Brain http://kimallen.sheepdogdesign.net/Japanese/index.html del.icio.us links http://del.icio.us/heavylift/japanese | 22 2 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 73 | VideoFinding an Apartment in Japan | Today's post comes in video podcast form. I explore making finding an apartment in Tokyo easier with Google Earth and Rikaichan. I take a look at the logistical aspect of looking in an unfamiliar area and explore the use of a Firefox plug-in that makes life easier when reading Japanese. Show Notes: Finding an Apartment Google Earth Familiarity Location Awareness Wards of Tokyo Public Transit Needed Places Translation Searching in English / Japanese Rikaichan Tricks Getting Started Apartment Links Google Overlay Links Music Credits: Melissa Welch - Sleep-wake [cam076] Camomille Music CC License | 21 1 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 74 | VideoHappy 2007 From Amsterdam | It's taken me a while to post anything from my recent trip to Europe, but I hope the wait was worth it. I apologize whole-heartedly but blame KLM completely for throwing me off a day. I think the day delay coming back from Europe threw off my entire schedule - the downfall of being organized is that any kinks make you a helpless quivering blob of inactivity. But alas, I digress. My first impressions of Amsterdam where a bit unnerving. Just the rawness of the city can be a little unsettling. Being an American in Europe doesn't put me completely at ease given recent events in the world. In addition, Europe in general seems to have a lack of explicit safety precautions. The trams and bikes will run you over if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is your own responsibility as a human to keep yourself alive. If you get crushed, your fault. I somewhat like that. Europe seems to enact a sort of species selection this way - evolution in action. New Years Eve in Dam Square was incredible. (see video). I've experienced the human cattle herding of New York City's Times Square event and, unlike this event, Amsterdam is completely different. Dam Square is blocked off from traffic and pedestrian traffic is completely unrestricted. You can drink, shoot off fireworks, or just generally cruise around the entire area. People are shooting off fireworks nearly constantly for the 24 preceeding hours up to the countdown. At the countdown, this amount nearly quadruples into explosions of light directly above your head. After checking out most of the museums, taking a canal tour, and eating way more than I should have we finished our touring of the city after nearly 6 complete days. Though I think that such an extended period of time in this city is a bit overkill, I enjoyed every minute of it and had a great time. Photos are available here. Bottom line: Amsterdam for the New Year, highly recommended. Enjoy the brief video. | 10 1 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 75 | VideoApple Advertisements, What Gives? | Are you confused? So first there was the news that Justin Long was no longer making Apple commercials. Next, I had discovered that there were equally compelling commercials using the same schtick for Japan. Following this, I posted some borish comments on the topic. Then, I read another article today claiming that the long-man himself is denying it. Whatever, I'm so confused, and yet I don't care. I still like the Japanese commercials better. But in all this, I couldn't help but wonder, what if this guy were in the Japanese commercials. Would he be confused? Would he brush it off? Would he try to talk to the hot Japanese camera girl again? So to add to the confusion, here is a little ditty done I did with Final Cut Pro while taking a study break, just for each and every one of you. Enjoy. | 13 11 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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150 days until Ebi-Filets! | I decided to get back on the audio podcasting kick with this post. Probably extremely boring for those who already know me. Plus, this was recorded in the car so there is a bit of road noise. Driving goodness for those who are interested in why this podcast exists. Show Notes: Why Finding Japan, Why a podcast? Ebi Filet and Japanese service Links Mentioned: HerroFlomJapan - http://www.herroflomjapan.com Tokyo Calling - http://www.tokyocalling.org Kobe Beef - http://www.kobebeefshow.com My Odeo Channel (odeo/93eb918637d93569) | 17 10 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 77 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 8/9 - Shimbashi/Ginza | From: Saturday, November 19th: I think I had mentioned before that I had accidentally deleted the backup footage from my trip. I gave it the old college try and even looked for the footage on various hard drives. Please accept this slideshow as a proper substitute and just pretend the objects and people in the photos are moving. This post contains sights from around Ginza and Shimbashi on our last night in Tokyo and will also be the very last video edition of this particular trip. If you missed any of the prior espisodes, you can still catch them here. I will start to post more current videos next week. (^.^) またね！ | 5 8 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Japan Trip - Day 7 - Finding Kobe | From Friday, November 18th: A bit different this week. Posting an audio podcast episode instead of a video one like the last few. Immerse yourself in the sounds of Japan, well at least just the first 10 minutes of train sounds, and just cruise around on the JR line with us, getting lost in Osaka on our way to visit Terrance in Kobe. Works best with headphones. ^_^ | 23 7 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 79 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 6 - Osaka Aquarium | From Thursday, November 17th: Day six of my Japan trip was spent wandering around the underground malls of Osaka. When we finally popped our heads up for air, we realized we were fairly close the Osaka Aquarium. Let's head on over. I present to you, "Today's Zen Moment" with a dozen or so photos of the critters inside the aquarium, and not always just the fish. More photos here. | 3 7 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 80 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 5 - Koyasan | From Wednesday, November 16th, 2005: This is day 5 of my November trip to Japan. This morning, we were awoken by a ringing of a bell at 5:30am. We shuffled off to the services area and sat quietly while the monks performed their morning prayers. It was cold, peaceful, and humbling. The remainder of the day was spent walking through the stone paths of Koyasan and checking out the old buildings. We ended the day by traveling back to Osaka, which I will post pictures of later. | 25 3 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 81 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 4b - Kung-Fu Ryokan | From Tuesday, November 15th, 2005: The Ryokan room, and the Yukatta Battle between Fred and Chris. Do not miss this episode. I had to break the arrival at Shojoshin-in into a separate video feed. We basically got into the room and spent the whole day just chilling out. We were both pretty beat after the day of traveling and battling Kung-fu style! | 4 3 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 82 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 4 - Ride to Koyasan | From Tuesday, November 15th, 2005: On our way to Koyasan to visit some monks and keep in a traditional Japanese Ryokan. The entire day was spent traveling to Koyasan. First, JR Loop line from Shinjuku to Tokyo Station. Bullet train to Shin-Osaka. Loop line to Shin-Imamiya. Nankai Koya Line to Gokurakubashi. Cable car to Koyasan. Bus to Ryokan. Fun! | 20 2 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 83 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 3 - Train Riding | From Monday, November 14th, 2005: Welcome to Day 3 of the Japan Trip. Our first real big day of formal sight-seeing. I was finally feeling back to normal after recovering from the jet lag and the nice cold I caught. We managed to figure out the trains well enough to make it to the Imperial Palace, the Meiji Shrine, and meet up with our friend Saya-san in Shimbashi in the evening. Unfortunately, I didn’t take too much video except on the trains themselves. There’s a quick bit about navigating the trains and what you see inside of them but that’s about all. The rest is pictures that you can also see in Flickr. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy! | 22 1 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 84 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 2 - Shinjuku | From Sunday, November 13th, 2005: Lots to see and lots to do in grand ol’ Tokyo. This day, we started it off right by visiting the Shinjuku Center, Sumitomo, and NS buildings for some high flying sight seeing. It was pretty amazing to be able to see metro spread for so far. We walked from downtown Shinjuku through Yoyogi, discovering vending machines, weird looking buildings, video games and pachinko parlors, and finally found the Sapporo beer museum in Ebisu. We finished off the night by sitting in downtown Shinjuku totally wiped out and still not over our jetlag. It was somewhat surreal towards the end of the night and hence the weird music. I think it really captures the theme even though I totally ripped it off from “Lost in Translation”. Enjoy! | 19 1 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 85 | VideoJapan Trip - Day 1 - Arrival | From Saturday, November 12th, 2005: We arrived in Tokyo on Saturday November 12th, completely exhausted and tired from the 2 hour connecting flights, the 14 hour flight to Narita, the 1 hour long train ride to Shinjuku from Narita Airport, and the 1 hour jaunt to find our hotel. Needless to say, getting to Shinjuku is a multi-stage journey. Upon arrival, it was a bit overwhelming, but really exciting. After the final leg of the journey, I was feeling a bit punchy. My only regret ... I wish I took more video footage so this first installment is a little thin. Hope you enjoy! | 18 1 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 85 Episodes |
- Free
- Category: Personal Journals
- Language: English
- © Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5
