Thanks for your comments, everyone.

fire&wings, it's interesting that you mention that they don't feel like illustrations, because apparently Ishida didn't like to be considered an illustrator and wanted to create solid works of art. So I think he would have been glad to hear you say that.

It's rather heartbreaking to see his works in a timeline like this because the works closer to his death are much bleaker and lack the whimsical sense of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 5:27 AM on April 29, 2008

rik wrote: In a related matter, did Tokyo steal the pork tenderloin from Des Moines, or did Des Moines steal the tonkatsu from Tokyo?

The word tonkatsu is a word that combines "ton"=pork and "katsu"=cut(-let). Apparently the style of cooking was imported into Japan in the late 1800s. Wikipedia uses the word "invented" but I imagine this really means "mimicked at first and gradually changed to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 1:16 AM on April 11, 2008

I was a Japanese kid growing up in North America during the late '70s and early '80s. And my mom and I watched The Love Boat. (And Fantasy Island.) Probably every week, because I can still sing the opening song. I'm pretty sure my mom actually liked the show. I suspect part of the reason why was because the language and plot were straightforward enough for her to follow without having to concentrate, since she didn't understand much English. I mean, who wants to have to concentrate on something... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 6:04 AM on March 23, 2008

Thanks for this post.

The thing about Kurosawa is that recently, terrible remakes of his works are being produced one after another. Remakes of Ikiru and High and Low were aired on TV last year, and a film version of Tsubaki Sanjuro was released last year as well. The Hidden Fortress and Yojinbo will be released later this year. An actual footage of Kurosawa himself and his... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 6:08 AM on January 30, 2008

Slightly off-topic, what do ordinary Japanese people think of these tv shows?

Well, since you asked, I find them slightly amusing when I happen to stumble upon them when I'm channel-surfing with nothing else whatsoever to do, but I've never seen the 60-minute show in its entirety (It's called "Haneru no Tobira" BTW, though I'm sure nobody cares). There's another segment in the same program where the same comedians are dressed up as... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 5:17 AM on November 24, 2007

Also, in the tradition of Takeshi Kitano, who also used to dress up in weird costumes and do all kinds of crazy stuff on TV here as "Beat" Takeshi (and still does from time to time), the guy who jumped over the hurdle first, Muga Tsukaji, is also crossing over into the film world as a serious actor (though admittedly in quirky roles so far), and has appeared in such movies as the Mamiya Brothers and Kisaragi. I don't know why I wanted to point that out, but I'm kind of a fan of the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 5:44 AM on November 24, 2007

Amazing! Good for her!
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 10:35 PM on October 22, 2007

I mentioned this in an AskMe thread before, but I translated the English subtitles for this film a couple of years ago and it makes me very happy to see that people are still seeing it and enjoying it.

The former lead vocalist and guitarist from The Blue Hearts are playing in a band called The Cro-magnons now, and here is their latest release, called "Giri giri gagangan". As you can see, they haven't changed much over the years and I love them for it.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 6:18 AM on October 1, 2007

These are lovely. Thanks!
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 3:50 AM on August 10, 2007

Thanks for the additional links, flapjax and geos. I love looking at factories, too! These photos reminded me of when I was younger and had a silly amount of time on my hands, and some friends and I would drive down to Kawasaki at night to just look at the lighted up factories down there. Kind of like real-life Akira.

The guy who runs the blog was recently on television being interviewed about his factory-viewing hobby, and he said something along... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 1:09 AM on June 21, 2007

GavinR, I'm from Ocean Springs and have always been told my accent is faintly Bostonian.

The quiz says I have a midland accent.

And I too would have said Mary=marry=!merry.

solotoro, if you're still following this thread, I went to school in Ocean Springs when I was a kid! I've lived in other areas in the States and Canada, and English isn't my first language, but I consider the English I speak now to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 5:22 AM on January 19, 2007

this annual trip takes place on the exact day Japan lost the war

No. This was the first time Koizumi went on August 15th since he became prime minister.

And he did it only because it was a casual promise he'd made before he became prime minister and this is the last year he can fulfill that promise. I think that if the media here hadn't dogged him so persistently about keeping his word, he wouldn't have gone ahead with it... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 5:54 PM on August 15, 2006

This is a great post! The free paper toys are beautiful.
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 4:38 AM on July 24, 2006

"Karuchaa shokku," that is. Culture shock.

I don't know what the situation is like outside of Japan, but the age for kids to outgrow their diapers is getting later and later here. Most of the kids my son's age wore diapers until they turned three (maybe because the disposable diapers have become so dry and comfortable?), so it's a big deal for moms to teach their kids how to use the toilet. Also, if the family lives with or close to an older generation (like... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 5:57 AM on July 12, 2006

I've read somewhere that the samurai warriors of the Edo period walked with their arms and legs on the same side moving at the same time (how to explain... right arm and leg forward, then left arm and leg forward), which had something to do with being able to use their swords efficiently. I can't find any links to verify this, but since carrying swords in public was forbidden only about 150 years ago, it would explain "the shuffle," maybe?
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 6:02 PM on July 7, 2006

Wow. Japan has no nuclear weapons because we're the only country in the world that has ever had them actually dropped on us. Two of them, in fact. Ever heard of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? I'm surprised so many people here don't seem to know this. Technically, sure, Japan might be able to build nuclear weapons, but emotionally, it can't because those two cities are still the torchbearers for international nuclear disarmament. It's a complicated issue.
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 6:01 AM on July 5, 2006

"I will not have sheep in my pastoral scenes..." Sheep?! Wow, wish I could have seen that one! Actually, like others have said, I'm kind of interested in actually seeing productions with some of these no-nos in them.
I'm sending this link to my stage designer cousin...
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 4:17 PM on February 26, 2006

Here in Japan these things are called "Baka Kenchiku" (literally Stupid Architecture), and here's an entire site (in Japanese, but I think the pictures speak for themselves...) dedicated to them.
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 3:12 AM on February 23, 2006

What depresses me is these youngin's are actually unhappy with some of the songs. I mean, I'd gladly swap my "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" with "Come on Eileen" any day of the week.

I also agree, but if I had been born on my birthday in 1985, I would have been born to "Say you, Say Me" by Lionel Richie, which might admittedly have been kind of depressing... As it stands, "Someday We'll Be Together" by Diana Ross... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 4:19 PM on February 20, 2006

My son loves the new series airing right now, but he's only eight years old and doesn't know any better. : )
PeterMcDermott, if you think the replacement Pigsy (Chohakkai is his Japanese name) sucked, you should see the current one! He's Densha Otoko!
I used to watch the original series starring Masaaki Sakai, like every other Japanese kid my age, but I didn't know it was so well-known outside Japan. From what I've seen of the current series, the episodes aren't so... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 6:32 PM on February 19, 2006

Calbee's shrimp chips (Kappa Ebisen) have been around since 1964 in Japan... since before I was born. The US equivalent would be like Doritos or Cheetos in terms of popularity. Used to always eat them as a kid, and now my son does. I'm a Japanese who was raised in the US, but for some reason, until I read this thread, it didn't occur to me that they would be considered "kooky." Oh, and I love jellyfish too!
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 5:28 PM on February 11, 2006

I searched past posts for this, but a quick search doesn't turn anything up... Anyone ever seen this silly work? Ski Jump Pairs!
posted to MetaFilter by misozaki at 4:42 PM on February 11, 2006