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So far, I’ve given some tutorials on how to make Japanese food at home. So I would assume that another purpose of this blog is to voice my opinion on what are some of the bet Japanese food options while in Toronto, incase you aren’t the cooking type (but of course it is always nice to go out for a good meal!).

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Today I will post about Toshi Sushi（敏寿司：としずし）which is one of the places I consider to have the best sushi in Toronto. I happened to go in for dinner yesterday with my girlfriend and a few friends, so I snapped some pictures.
A shot from the outside taken after we left. Although the OPEN sign appears to be broken, it is actually one of those flashing OPEN signs. So no, it isn’t broken. The place itself is rather small (by Canadian standards I suppose), and I’m assuming it seats 30 - 50 customers at max capacity. I’ll give the directions at the end of the post. (more…)

Moving on to my next picture set, today we will be looking at the area of Roppongi（六本木：ろっぽんぎ）in Tokyo. Roppongi is an upscale area of Tokyo with many bars, nightclubs, lounges, shopping malls and other sorts of expensive things. It has 2 relatively well known landmarks, the first being Tokyo Tower, and the second being the newer area of Roppongi Hills（六本木ヒルズ), which was opened around 2003. There are many foreigners who work in Roppongi as it is also a rather large business district. If you are the type who enjoys blowing off large amounts of cash in exchange for some entertainment, I would highly recommend you check Roppongi out. (more…)

Those following the Youtube will have noticed my latest video on Humility. Although the general response has been rather good and sparked discussion, I (as usual) am not pleased with the turn out of the video. I feel as though I might have come off as a little preachy, and that I did not do a good enough job at explaining the whole point of the blog.

I’ve talked to a few friends about it, and they all OK’ed the vid and said it was fine. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Either way, please check it out and leave some feedback here if you’d like. I think I’m going to try and come back to this issue of Japanese humility in the future with a more “scholarly” approach.

Finally managed to sit down and watch the first episode of what promises to be a rather entertaining drama. Watched the first episode of Zettai Kareshi (絶対彼氏：ぜったいかれし：Absolute Boyfriend) last night, and at first all I could think of was the Terminator theme song playing in my head, but after a while I got over that and enjoyed the humorous aspects of the drama. I suppose I’ll do a little “first episode summary” for those who are still pondering over whether to watch this or not.

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Was at the local Chapters today, searching for some beginner Japanese books for a friend of mine (Melvy). Came across this fantastic book that I won’t be picking up anytime soon, and remembered the one no-name youtube viewer who commented on one of my videos, in regards to learning some “REAL” Japanese swear words.

I didn’t get the name of the author in the picture, but it is by a man named Jack Steward, I believe. Who would want to take advice from someone like this? I don’t really know. I flipped through the book and found words like スケベ (sukebe : lecher) and of all words ボケ (boke : idiot) to be categorized under “offensive swear words.” Are pervert and idiot even swear words in english? Nope. That much alone is almost laughable, and just goes to show that anyone can write a book and have it stuck in some bookstore nowadays.

A general tip to anyone learning Japanese: Stay away from rubbish like this please. It will do nothing but make you look like a fool. Japan is a country based on humility and respect, and learning stuff that might be considered “cool” to someone like Jack Steward (who clearly isn’t Japanese, and therefore holds little insight as to what Japanese words really mean or stand for), is most definitely a waste of time on your part.

If you want to make it in Japan, learn how to say everything in the utmost polite and humble way possible. It will save your ass, and in many cases make you look like a respectable foreigner who isn’t just there to chill with some home fries, ‘naw mean? 

Many posts in the future will be dedicated to how I’ve learnt Japanese, and what I consider some of the better ways to more “correctly” pick up the language, and of course enjoy it and be liked/respected by Japanese people.

Possibly my favorite part of Japan by far would have to be Yoyogi (代々木：よよぎ). This is probably due to the fact that when I spent 2 months in Japan, it was at a place in Yoyogi, Tokyo. There is just so much to like about Yoyogi for someone like myself. Firstly, it is conveniently located right inbetween Shinjuku (新宿：しんじゅく) and Harajuku (原宿：はらじゅく), which are amongst some of the best urban areas in Japan. Also, it is significantly more quiet than lots of places in Tokyo, but not too quiet. Almost like a perfect balance. (more…)

I was forwarded an extremely useful message from my Japanese professor the other day. Those who are currently taking or finishing up undergraduate degrees concerned with East Asia, or Information technology, you might want to have a look at this.

“In 2008, the University of Tokyo (UT) launches a new International Master’s/Doctoral Degree Program: Information, Technology, and Society in Asia (ITASIA) at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies (GSII). This program offers intensive graduate level education designed to foster analytical strength and insight into Asian societies and international relations, at a time when information and communication technology are having an increasingly profound impact on the region.

The program is tailored for both international and Japanese students who are motivated to pursue active professional careers on the regional and global stages. All instruction will be conducted in English, so proficiency in Japanese is not a prerequisite.” — ITASIA Website

Of course this doesn’t apply to me quite yet for several reasons, but I am going to keep it in mind depending on how my outlook on Japan job hunting goes (Job hunting in Japanese is 就職：しゅうしょく：Shuushoku). I’m just putting this out here in hopes that it might reach somebody that is interested. If you’re uber smart and don’t speak Japanese this is a great chance for you to get over to Japan for an extended period of time. Not to mention, you’d be studying at the top university in Japan to boot (the University of Tokyo, also more commonly referred to in Japan as 東大：とうだい：Todai, an abbreviated form of Tokyo Daigaku meaning Tokyo University).

If you’d like to read up on more of the details check out the website: http://itasia.iii.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

Anybody out there that is pursuing a degree in East Asian Studies / Japanese linguistics like myself? Or am I the only one

Today’s uploaded photos are from my visit to Osaka, in the Kansai region of Japan. Osaka is a popular travel spot for several reasons, and much like anywhere else in Japan, Osaka has a very interesting historical background. There are lots of Buddhist temples, as well 大阪城（おおさかじょう：Osaka Jou) Osaka Castle, which is very well preserved and absolutely beautiful to look at. I Didn’t get to spend a lot of time in Osaka, but then again I’m nowhere near as crazy about the place as some people I know. Check out my pictures from Osaka (link here, as well as in the top banner under pictures).

Also, I’d like to mention that I am looking for others with interest in Japan that have blogs or sites to trade links with. Networking our sites not only increases the amount of traffic we can potentially receive, but also allows us to expand our knowledge and understand the different perspectives at which we all deal with learning the Japanese language and Japanese culture.

I’ve already established 3 link trades so far. These are great sites and I’d appreciate it if you have interest to go check them out:

Sanokame.com: A very informative fellow from Sweden who has some great stuff to say about Japanese entertainment, as well as design and technology in general.

NeilDuckett.com: A fellow ‘gaijin’ living in Tokyo, Japan with a rather extensive blog packed full of pictures, Japan employment information, and links to many other great Japanese weblogs.

DannyChoo.com: A huge online community for those interested in Japanese culture, anime, idols, and otaku related information.

Of course, all these links are in the side bar, and I’m hoping to see YOURS there soon as well.

Cheers.

Since my video on The Secrets to Learning Japanese, I’ve been asked by several people where I get my Japanese television fix from, as they’ve had difficulty tracking Japanese programming down due to living in North America. I frequently use D-Addicts for all my Japanese program downloads. Another method would be to look into getting your television provider’s “Japanese Channel”. I know that Rogers has this channel, and it has a lot of educational Japanese programming from NHK (日本放送協会 Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai : Japan Broadcasting Corporation), as well as Japanese dramas, music television, and even Japanese news.

On D-Addicts, you can find a huge variety of Japanese dramas and even Japanese television programs. I will give you a quick tutorial based on whatever it is you might be looking for, so that you can find it all. (more…)

Those who are subscribed to my youtube channel will have noticed that I put out a Japanese Karei Raisu (Curry Rice) tutorial video. I am not overly pleased with the turn out of the video, but decided to put it up anyways. If you are interested in making some curry rice, I will provide the ingredients and instructions here as well.

Just for some background information: Japanese Curry is a popular dish in Japan and is many times consumed in the form of curry rice (half the plate being curry, the other half being rice). It is slightly thicker than other forms of curry (such as Indian curry), as well as sweeter/milder, and is also making me very hungry just talking about it right now. (more…)