Japan

Robots and Japan

January 17, 2006

The December 20th issue of the Economist contains a fascinating, must-read story about robots and Japan. Why is that Westerners tend to be afraid of artificial intelligence, and yet many Japanese actually prefer the company of robots to real humans? The answer, the Economist says, has to do with religion and popular culture:

Few Japanese have the fear of robots that seems to haunt westerners in seminars and Hollywood films. In western popular culture, robots are often a threat, either because they are manipulated by sinister forces or because something goes horribly wrong with them. By contrast, most Japanese view robots as friendly and benign. Robots like people, and can do good.

The Japanese are well aware of this cultural divide, and commentators devote lots of attention to explaining it. The two most favoured theories, which are assumed to reinforce each other, involve religion and popular culture.

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Japanese Emoticons

December 13, 2005

Guess what this is:

Why, it’s a cuttlefish, of course. Duh!

Check out some more Japanese emoticons.

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Reason Number 819 I Wanna Go To Japan

November 8, 2005

Check out this Japanese game show — women wear hats of meat and test their courage in the face of a hungry lizard!

(Via BoingBoing.)

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Tokyo: Affordable?

September 20, 2005

CS Monitor:

Japan is stereotyped as the land of the $80 watermelon and the $90 mushroom. Many expats think it easier to rearrange the rings of Saturn than use the word “affordable” and “Tokyo” in the same sentence.

Yet as urban real estate values rise globally, and as prices for Japanese basics like food and clothing drop, Japan is being seen as less prohibitively expensive. Apart from three uniquely Japanese money guzzlers – buying property, elite dining, and taxis – costs seem less extreme these days, say expats and Japanese interviewed.

Tokyo

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Japan had Castles?

September 9, 2005

Why, yes they did.

castles

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Reason Number 812 I Wanna Go to Japan

August 29, 2005

Harjuku.

harajuku

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“Kidsbeer”

August 8, 2005

Japan Times:

SAGA (Kyodo) Kidsbeer, a nonalcoholic brew aimed at children, is catching on with young drinkers and is posting monthly shipments of 75,000 bottles, according to maker Tomomasu Co.

(Via Winkie.org)

beer

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Sausage Carving Tips…

July 20, 2005

…from the Japanese. I like this one the best:

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Advice on Teaching English in Japan

July 16, 2005

“I’m Going to Teach English in Japan, but I’ve Never Been to Asia. Any Tips?”

Rolf Potts — with input from yours truly — provides some feedback over on the new World Hum.

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Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Japan But Were Afraid to Ask

June 24, 2005

The JAPAN SAQ (SELDOM ASKED QUESTIONS) page is unbelievable. Sample gem:

Q. Why is it in anime and manga, when a boy acts like a pervert they are pictured with blood gushing from their nose? Is this derived from a legend of some sort?–Question submitted by Octavian
A. In anime, a nosebleed means that a male character is sexually aroused. It’s kind of funny if you think about it–he is so aroused that blood not only fills up his sex organs, it starts coming out his nose too…

Um. Yeah, kind of funny. More like really goddamned weird.

(Another fabulous link courtesy of Gridskipper.)

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