Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with japan

Help me find winter haiku with translations

Cogito — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:29:47 -0800

俳句フィルター：Help me find great winter haiku in their original Japanese, but with English translations. I'd like to make a Christmas card for my girlfriend with a more personal sentiment than something pre-made. I used to study Japanese, and I took a calligraphy course, so I thought a taking a blank card and doing a winter haiku on one would be nice.

The problem is, I'm having trouble deciding which one to use since it seems most of the English translations lack the original Japanese and vice versa. My Japanese is good enough to translate on my own, but it's far from effortless, so if there's a good resource of haiku with translations that would be best.

Also, if there are particular poems that people think would be good for this, I'd like to hear them. I particularly like Basho and Buson, but I'm open to that would work well for the purpose.

Name that 2002 Japanese Movie

Beautiful Screaming Lady — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:26:52 -0800

Name that Japanese movie: seen onboard Japan Airlines in 2002-2003. Salaryman becomes obsessed with building a space rocket in his back garden. Easy-going but slightly melancholy mid-30s family man with a dissatisfying office job slowly retreats from his family and friends and becomes obsessed with building himself a rocket from scrap metal and assorted spare parts. Overall tone was poignant and gently humourous. Features a bizarrely out-of-place scene involving a doctor attacking a cabbage in an attempt to demonstrate a new medical robot.

I was sure it was called Tomorrow Is Another Day in English, but I can't any mention of it online. Can anyone help?

What's it like to work as a foreign hostess in Japan?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:02:32 -0800

What's it like to work as a foreign hostess in Japan? Really. I have an opportunity to be a hostess in Japan. I'm interested because I'm pretty attractive, I long to get out of the country and I'm struggling to find employment as a writer (surprise). Yes, I've read many word of mouth horror stories about it on the internet, but I haven't read many 'real life accounts'. Most of the information out there seems to be from 2002-20005 too.

Have you or someone you know worked as a hostess in Japan? What's the dress code? How far does it really go? Bonus points for more recent experiences... Or perhaps there's a blog you've seen?

Traveling near Tokyo in December?

destrius — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:45:44 -0800

Some last minute business brings my girlfriend and I to Tokyo this December, and we'll be spending a week's vacation there as well. We've been to Tokyo before, so what can a couple do out of the city (but nearby) during winter? We'll be there from December 11th-17th. We'll probably just spend the weekend in the city, and are thinking of venturing farther afield during the remaining weekdays. Does anybody have any suggestions of good places to visit and things to do, keeping in mind the weather?

I'm not inclined to travel too far away, so somewhere about 1-2 hours train away from Tokyo would be best. We've already been to Nikko so that's out. Skiing is also out as we don't ski.

Our current ideas are:

1. Head to the Fuji Five Lakes region to look at Mt Fuji and relax in an onsen.

2. Head to the Izu Peninsula and wander around (and also relax in an onsen).

Thing is, I'm not really sure what there is to do besides relax in an onsen; will the towns be interesting to walk around and explore, will the scenery be good? A lot of the info I'm finding seems geared for summer travel.

Another issue with onsens is that most are divided by gender, and we don't really want to spend most of the trip separated like that. I know private (family) baths exist, but they're harder to find, more expensive, and usually attached to a ryokan. And they're probably not outdoors too.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Intergalactic Google-fu Fail...

squasha — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:02:22 -0800

I've searched here, there, and everywhere for information on the optimal time/date for viewing this year's Leonid meteor shower from my little corner of central Japan. Has anyone else out there been able to find something with a world clock style of interface or am I reaching? I checked the IMO, but found their schedule unwieldy.... It's already frigid outside and I'm having a hard time convincing myself to just bundle up and go out there if there's a chance it will be better several hours from now, or worse, tomorrow night. It's nearly 9pm on Monday, November 16th, Tokyo time.

(Not that I'm there. If I were, light pollution would keep me from even bothering to ask. It's much darker here in rural Gifu.)

The Wedding of Princess Ka'iulani

LadyOscar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:11:35 -0800

Has anyone heard of a mural painting called "The Wedding of Princess Ka'iulani" commissioned on his return home by a Japanese businessman who visited Hawaii and was moved by her short life? While I was writing an essay for Japanese class about Princess Ka'iulani (the last crown princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii), my husband mentioned that he had read a magazine article a few years ago about this painting in a Tokyo(?) hotel(?) that was a fantasy version of the wedding she never lived to see.

I figured this would be easy to Google, but for once the all-knowing net has failed me. The only reference I could find was one line in this article:
http://www.urbanmozaik.com/member_fea_archives/arc_princess.html

I tried searching in Japanese, as well, but with no better luck. (Although I'm not fluent, so I could have missed something.)

Does anyone else out there remember reading about this, or know any more details?

Working abroad? Sweet. LDR? Not so much.

azuresunday — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:19:47 -0800

Visafilter: I've been hitting a brick wall with the Japanese consulate regarding same-sex partners and dependent-visa eligibility. Any Mefites have experience with this sort of thing? I'm a guy in my mid-twenties with a same-sex partner about the same age, and we've been together for six years. I've just been hired to teach English in Japan this spring, which I'm really excited about, and my SO has an interview lined up with the same company this weekend. I'm fairly confident he'll be hired as well (he's got much more teaching experience) but just in case, we're applying elsewhere and researching alternatives, including visa options.
I've found several unofficial websites like this one which mention it's now possible for a married same-sex partner to sponsor their accompanying spouse.
I've tried calling the local Japanese Consulate in Seattle to confirm or deny this, but the visa officer was out, and it seemed like no matter how I phrased the question, all I got back from the woman I spoke to was "Japan doesn't have a domestic partnership visa," which felt like a canned answer and didn't actually address my question.
What I want to know is whether a married (or in Washington State, domestic-partnered) couple is eligible to apply for the already-existent dependent visa, or perhaps some other type of visa I'm not aware of.
The SO and I aren't married - we've discussed getting hitched but we've held off due to R-71, and given the general lack of information from the Consulate, we aren't sure whether becoming domestic partners in Washington would do anything for my partner's visa eligibility anyway. Maybe a state offering full-on Marriage would be better?
I'd really appreciate any advice from Mefites who have either Japan-specific experience or those who have successfully negotiated similar problems before. Anything helps, really. Please let me know if you need more information, and thanks in advance.

Visiting Tokyo over the new year.

aladfar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:27:09 -0800

I'll be visiting Tokyo for the first time over the new year. I arrive on 12/30 and plan to return to the states on 1/06. Looking for suggestions on where to stay and what to do (I understand most shops and attractions will be closed on and around the new year).

Help me find a winter coat in Tokyo!

Athelthral — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:27:36 -0800

I'll be in Tokyo in a few weeks, and I want to buy a new winter coat while I'm there. Budget: $250ish. I'm looking for something fairly simple, classic and durable. I'm not going to have too much time for shopping, so I'd like suggestions of specific shops I could visit, and if possible, links to online stores so that I can have an idea of what to expect. If it helps, I'm looking for a grey wool coat, of about knee length or shorter (on a short person): maybe something like this, though I'd prefer if it were single-breasted and had a higher wool content.

It doesn't have to be something that can only be found in Japan - I live in the tropics and there isn't much of a selection over here, so this trip is my best chance to find a replacement for my current coat.

Thanks in advance!

Free WiFi in Tokyo and the rest of Japan?

teem — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:39:56 -0800

How widespread is free, open WiFi in Japan (Tokyo especially)? I've had good success using free WiFi in malls and such with my iPod Touch when I'm in unfamiliar major cities. It's great for accessing Google maps, looking up addresses, etc.

Will I be able to do this when I'm in Tokyo next year? What about when I'm in smaller rural cities? Are there any potential technologic or legal worries I need to consider or things I should prepare before going?

Picking a cellphone in Japan: iPhone or not?

remi — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:13:46 -0800

I just moved in Tokyo, where I'll stay for a year. I need a cellphone and I'm leaning towards getting an iPhone. What do you recommend? I asked a similar question about choosing the iPhone or not in Japan. The only difference is I was still in Canada then, and I was wondering if I should get the iPhone in Canada to later use it in Japan, which is not a good solution.

Now, I've been in Japan for a bit more than two weeks, where I'll stay in Tokyo for up to a year. I quickly realized that a cellphone here is close to a necessity. I rented a black NEC N905i cellphone from PuPuRu for a week, using the NTT DoCoMo network. It was really convenient, though the initial sign-up is confusing and I wish I could have used text messaging. The phone itself works well, but it was a bit bulky and I got lost in the menus a few times.

I've met some people in Japan with an iPhone they like, but most of them are not Japanese. Many of the Japanese people I know are satisfied with the phone they have, and it's usually not an iPhone. I get the impression the iPhone is not liked by the Japanese, but adored by foreigners in Japan. Additionally, I heard the official carrier of the iPhone, SoftBank, doesn't have a great network, but it's tolerable in Tokyo.

Today, I almost went to the nearby SoftBank store to get myself an iPhone, but I decided to discuss about this first. If I was still in Canada, I'd get myself an iPhone (or an Android phone) right away, but the opinion on the iPhone here in Japan seems to be split. I've also been using an iPod Touch for almost a year. I like it and sometimes wish I would have got further with an iPhone instead.

Also, I know if I'm not getting an iPhone, I'll be missing out on all the "cool" features many Japanese cellphones offer. These include "keitai saifu" (cellphone wallet), 1seg, dual camera, decorative mail, and for some, 8MP camera, HD video, solar-power recharge. It's all fun, but I also need to think about a phone that will get things done than just do nice things. Just by using my iPod Touch, I've been able to store and sync my contacts with my MacBook, listen to my music, check my calendar, take notes, watch videos, and run many useful apps I've bought and downloaded. From the iPod Touch, the iPhone would basically be a step up, with a phone, GPS, and a camera. Besides, do I need some Hello Kitty or Disney characters to make my e-mails cute just to say hi? As for the cellphone wallet, I obtained a convenient Suica card already.

Finally, if you're in Japan, let me know if you recommend the iPhone and if its official carrier, SoftBank, is tolerable in Tokyo. If not, which phone and carrier do you recommend?

In advance, thanks to everyone for your time!

What is the REAL name of the Japanese pranks show people are calling "Panic Face King"?

phonepimpster — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:19:57 -0800

There is a video making the rounds that is supposedly from an extreme Japanese pranks show called "Panic Face King." I have been unable to find any additional information on this show, which leads me to believe this is not the real name (or not the correct translation). There is often a picture-in-picture of people in the studio audience laughing while the prank is being shown. I do not know if this is a device used on many Japanese prank shows, or if it's unique to the show I'm asking about (for instance, this article on Japanese Prank Shows seems to all be from this same show -- but they may be different).

At any rate, I'm trying to find the name of the show that aired this clip. Any help you can give would be appreciated!

Curiously Stronger

cazoo — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:16:59 -0800

Where can I get the best (strongest) mints in the world? I've been sucking on Altoids since forever. I'd like to change my game. Once, I was told by a friend who was working in Japan about these mints that were so strong that they made his eyes start to tear. Does this ring a bell? I know nothing more about them.

Of course I'm not limited to finding just these Japanese mints. Any other suggestions to replace my Altoids are welcome.

Give Me Anime-Induced Nightmares Again

spamguy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:10:35 -0800

Help me identify a anime from my childhood about a superhero alien with boob death lasers. Everyone had 'that' childhood friend whose mom let him get away with everything. In my case, I went over to his house, stayed up crazy late, ate ice cream, and watched a truly fucked up anime series. I couldn't sleep that night. Help me reproduce this memory.

All I remember is a vague plot. The main character is a normal dude who goes to school. He encounters the crash landing of a mysterious object, which turns out to be a tentacle monster. It attacks him, and somehow he turns into an alien with super powers. He fights crime and monsters and stuff. His coup de grace in every episode is his chest (which my friend and I endearingly called 'boob missiles'), which opens up where boobs normally go to fire death lasers.

God, I love Japan. I have to see this again!

Using a Japanese phone stateside?

greasepig — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:28:12 -0800

Is it possible to use my Japanese Toshiba 810T in the States? I'm moving back to the states, and would love if I could use my little black phone to email my Japanese friends. It's Softbank, and does use some kind of SIM card. Basically I want to be able to use the Japanese input and also the handy dictionary. Is this just a pipe dream, something that will cost a lot, or just a plug-and-play situation? If it's no good, can I at least transfer the dictionary to a US carrier's phone, or is there anyway I could have a US carrier phone that would work with Japanese input?

Help this 外国人 figure out how to get to 日本.

dubitable — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:17:38 -0800

Yet another question about moving to Japan. So, I want to move to Japan, ideally by the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011. These are my conditions/skills/attributes:

-(assume I will have) conversational Japanese, including reading and writing. I'd also be interested in hearing what different levels of skill--i.e. "Conversational" vs. "Business"--would enable me to do or limit me to. I'm currently working very aggressively to learn the language, and I'm making noticeable, fast progress. I have the luxury (and obsessive capability) of being able to spend 30+ hours a week on it (not including "passive absorption time"), so I'm confident I will at least be conversational by then--if not by early next year. But I would like to know what the bare minimum is that I can expect to be able to work with, effectively, so I can plan well.

-10+ years as a web developer, currently working at MIT. I don't have any presumption that I'm that much better than any other web dev (although I am damn good, thank you very much) just 'cause I work at MIT, but I'm going to play that up if it would help at all. I also lived in NYC for a number of years and worked at a bunch of start-ups (a work style I'm done with, see below). I'm familiar with a wide variety of technologies, but I'm fairly limited in the Microsoft-platform side of things--my expertise is in all OSS (PHP/Java/and currently Ruby). I also kick most devs' asses with my UNIX sysadmin skills (not that I consider myself a sysadmin, oh great sysadmins of the world). This doesn't begin to cover my full skill set and experience, but I figured it would be enough to get a gist of what I can bring to the table.

-What I'm most interested in knowing: I don't want a crazy job where I work 70 hour weeks regularly. I'm done with that. I'll work hard, but I want a sane(r) work environment. Is this asking too much? Everything I've read about working in Japan says that the tech field is nuts in terms of overtime. I'd rather get paid a little less and work more sane hours but what I've read about the culture of work suggests this may be naive of me.

All that aside, if I have to work like a dog for a short time in order to move to something else that would suit me better, I'd do it...I just don't know what's possible. An alternative way to ask what I'm asking is, are there companies/organizations out there, in Japan, who would be able to use someone like me and have good work environments?

And, one more thing on this note--I'm perfectly comfortable considering a new career path if I can leverage my existent skill set and experience in any way. I've been doing this a while and I'm looking for a change soon anyways. I'm open to out-of-the-box ideas.

-I want to live in a big urban area, which I guess means Osaka or Tokyo? I assume this is just fine, as that's where more of the big companies are?

I'm signed up for the CFN Boston Career Forum this year, and while my Japanese is currently for crap, I figured I might as well go and see what I can find out even still. Does anyone think this would or would not be useful, regardless of my Japanese language ability (at this point)? My simple plan is to go this year, feel things out a bit, and then, assuming I have basic conversational skill, go again next year (2010) and see what is really possible.

I've read these already, and pulled some good stuff out of them:

Some guy moving in Japan
Advice for working in Japan
How difficult is it for a family of three to move to Japan?
"Trailing spouse" experiences moving to Japan?
Tokyo cost of living

Terrie's Job Tips at Daijob.com have been quite useful as well, but I think he has a certain perspective which may not be providing me with the whole picture--I want to try to understand how to find more under the radar, unconventional tech gigs, if possible and if such things exist.

Any advice, help, links, etc. will be greatly appreciated. Thank you AskMeFi Hive Mind!

I guess I'm a 400 year old otaku.

lilnublet — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:16:21 -0800

There's something about an Edo period setting. Recommend to me some [more] books/movies/anime/video games. I don't even know what it is... the clothing? The artwork? Music? Social rules? General atmosphere? The romance of it all maybe? There's a certain look and feel that goes along with media set in this period and I can't put my finger on it but I love it. Maybe "Edo period" isn't even describing what enchants me... maybe the hive mind can help?

Here are things that I've liked that all seem to fall into this category:

Seven Samurai
Yojimbo
Zatoichi (the recent-ish movie)
Okami
Muramasa Demon Blade
Samurai Champloo

I'm a huge reader (although you'd never guess it from this list), so book recommendations are particularly appreciated. If there are any other games with this kind of feel I have access to a wii, 360, ps2, and a mac.

postscript: In reading this before posting I'm wondering if what I like is that setting with a modern spin? Example: I can casually appreciate ukiyoe but I have this kozyndan print hanging in my hall because I love love love it.

Coming to the Kansai

GenjiandProust — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:28:02 -0800

Planning a couple of week visit to the Kansai area in late May, mostly Kyoto and Osaka, but with some side trips, including a longer visit to Hiroshima/Miyajima. Do you have recommendations? I have looked at various Kansi-related AskMe questions, and I have some general ideas of what I want to do, especially for the various attractions that show up in the guidebooks, but are there any small or out of the way places that you would consider must-sees? I am fond of temples and museums, but interesting stores and restaurants are also good. Bonus points for the best okonomiyaki recommendations. Double bonus points if anyone can confirm that Dogen Zenji is buried in Maruyama Koen and can give directions to his grave.

Where to find a terry-cloth bit of happiness, in Japan?

Ghidorah — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:26:39 -0800

Birthday Gift Filter: Where to find a plush, luxury hotel style bathrobe on sale in Japan? My wife's birthday is coming up soon, and I'd really like to get her a big, plush bathrobe for her birthday. The problem is, everywhere I've looked so far (which, admitted, has been a mall and a department store), shopclerks have told me that bathrobes aren't really used in Japan, and therefore aren't sold.

If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd be thrilled. I'm in Chiba, but have no problem going to Tokyo. A lot of mail-order stuff, though, is out, since very few American companies will ship to Japan. If you know of any that do, and won't cost more for shipping than for the gift, I'd love to hear about it.

Travel with Iphone to Japan?

dougiedd — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:18:51 -0800

I will be traveling to Japan for 2 weeks Want to use my iphone mostly for non-cell usages: mail, maps, etc. 2 questions: are prepaid sim cards available for iphone if i jail break it in Japan and how common are free wi-fi spots in Tokyo if i want to go airplane mode to avoid ALL data charges?

72 Hours in Japan...

Phyltre — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:45:40 -0800

My fiancee will be staying at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo for 2-3 days, with minimal spare time. What shopping options are very close by that she could visit for geek/tech/gaming/unique gifts and souvenirs? As part of a month-long trip to her native Philippines (where she has never been, ironically--her parents having moved months before her birth) my fiancee will be staying in Japan for a short time. While she was born there, her family moved to the US shortly after and so she's never "been there".

What shopping options are nearby the New Otani that she might want to visit for individuals back home (who may or may not have given her money to spend in Japan)? And is there anything nearby, shopping or otherwise, that she absolutely MUST visit, if only for an hour or two?

How do you cook Japanese?

johanze — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:23:56 -0800

Cooking classes in Tokyo in October. I'm off to Tokyo (and Kyoto) for a break from the 16th of October for a week. I don't mind me a bit of cooking, and would love to attend a cooking class while I'm there. What I'd love even more is a class that took in a trip to a local market to get produce, and then back to the kitchen to cook up a feast. Does anyone know of a Gaijin friendly class at all?

You pay for our safety, so we don't have to.

nax — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:19:43 -0800

Do the U.S. military bases in foreign countries, esp. Western Europe and Japan, help those countries keep their military budgets low so that they can afford things like, I dunno, universal health care? I found this discussion among others regarding the general reasons why we have foreign bases, but nothing seems to address the financial benefits to foreign nations having us provide some of their security.

Are there audiobooks for manga (in Japanese)?

dbooster — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:48:40 -0800

Does anyone know of any web sites that provide you spoken manga? Specifically what I'm looking for is audio files for manga, read in Japanese, so I can listen to it and follow along in the manga I already own. Sometimes I have my Japanese wife read a manga to me, but often she is too busy or unwilling. I can read it myself, of course, but my Japanese is not yet good enough to know proper pronunciation, intonation and rhythm, and so on, so I find it helpful if someone reads to me. Anyways, any ideas?

Fun and games in Japan

Jilder — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:51:09 -0800

My lovely partner is off to Japan for three weeks. What neat stuff is there to do? Details to follow: He's attending a couple of conferences over the period, with a few days at the end of that spell as a minibreak. He arrives in Ikebekuro on Friday night, and has the weekend to himself until his conference starts. Then off to Niseko on Sunday 13th of Sept, a ski resort on Hokkaido. Finally, four days in Sapporo from the 20th.

What mischief can an enthusiastic geeky chap get up to around there? He's got some high school Japanese in his favour, and is not afraid to inflict it on the natives.

Priorities include the acquisition of neat tech and sampling local flavour. Japanese Mefites, let's see what you've enjoying.