As many non-Japanese say, genelally, most of Japanese girls are fashionable and pretty. There may not be outstanding beauty like US or Europe though, Japanese girls pay attention on their own appearance very much in general.

For example, you know most of Japanese woman keep make- up on. Their skills of making up are incredible for non-professional. They use proper cosmetics to make pores virtually imperceptible, put on foundation carefully, apply finishing powder, draw eyebrows perfectly, putting on eye liners with consummate skill and use three kinds of mascaras. But it doesn’t look like “too much” make up at all. It looks like with no make-up on. It is called “Natural Make” in Japanese.
In my knowledge, Korean is also good at making up. But seems “Natural Make” is not popular for Korean ladies. They maybe prefer “Makeup” face.

Perhaps Japanese’ manual dexterity are genetically programmed. In this country, there are some people who write sutra on a grain of rice. That’s why many of manicurists are Japanese. What kind of “normal” people have nails with design in mother-of-pearl inlay? In any big city, fashionable, MAW (models, actress or whatever) exist. Though, Japanese woman keep high average as a whole. You can find out what is in fashion with taking one look in Shibuya or Shinjuku. People change clothes from nails to toes in every season. It is a big different from States. In this country, “My blue jeans and converse” are not fashionable at all.

Not only fashion or make up stuff, girls even change their skin color. A few years ago, there were full of “Ganguro” (very much tanned) highschool girls in everywhere. Though, they suddenly disappeared. Instead of “Ganguro” girls, now superwhite girls conquest this city. Their faces are insanely white. Even whiter than real white people.

I have several website and BBS to read. There is an interesting discussion was going on some website. Some females insist on “Fat girls shouldn’t come to clubs because their revealing clothes are harmful to public eyes”. Of course other girls arguing back “Whatever I wear, it is none of your business! Being fat is sexy! Shut up, living skeltons!”. It is really funny discussion though, seems being fat is a crime in Japan.

Meanwhile, there is a unwritten rule in Japanese female world. The rule is “Beauty talks in any time any occation.” For example, some woman accept her boy friend’s cheanting if the other woman is more beautiful than herself, we tend to let the woman who has better looking than oneself go first, somehow we feel so guilty when the beautiful woman crying for her own fault (not yours) and et al.

This caste is decided by other females. Guys’ opinion are ignored usually. This battle is females’ war.

Though, actually, I am not in this killing field because I don’t care about other females’ appearance. When I am fine with myself, I am fine whatever others say. Is it nice? I am pretty sure it sounds like I am already giving up with being a woman for other Japanese females.

俺は日本人から見られたら日本人じゃない．．．
アメリカのCaucasian（白人）の方から見られたらアメリカ人じゃない．．．
アメリカのBlack（黒人）の方から見られたらアメリカ人じゃない．．．
じゃあ、何人？
アメリカ人のイメージって何だろう？
Stereotypeをやめたいね！両方になりたいね！
僕も頑張ります。

Being the computer nerd I am, I’m always looking for new and interesting programs to help me in my daily tasks. It is not often that I find one worth blogging to the world about but this program will be of great value to you. The program is Yahoo Instant messenger and allows you to have a video/audio conference with others using the same IM service.

I have been using IM programs since ICQ first developed the idea, was still owned by an Israeli company and ran on the Windows 95 OS. As time went by I began using AOL and MSN instant messengers. However, MSN eventually won out due to the ease of conferencing with my overseas friends with video and audio. I was a big fan of Netmeeting and had no problems getting even my mother to feel comfortable with it. However, as the OS became more complicated, security concerns (firewalls and such) began to create connectivity problems, netmeeting was discontinued and I lost contact with my own family since we couldn’t get both the audio and video to work.

However, yesterday a friend with a new computer (and camera) and I began trying to video conference again and I’ve found that Yahoo IM simply destroys the competition. The video is superb and connectivity is no problem unlike the MSN which constantly tells me there is a network problem when trying to make an audio connection. The only catch is that you both must be using the English version of the program. That is to say, you cannot connect if one is using the Japanese version while the other has the English version. I tried to install the Japanese version at first on my pc but my computer could not read the Japanese written into the program and all I got were symbols and one messy looking interface.

Therefore, those expensive KDDI cards from 7-11 which only give me 40 minutes for 5,000 yen are now no longer needed!! I will encourage all my friends to download this program and thus my living an ex-pat life will no longer be an obstacle in keeping in contact with my friends from around the world.

Ah, the 英会話 (Eikaiwa = English Conversation School). Their bright neon signs decorate buildings from the major centers of Shinjyuku and Ikebukuro to the smallest countryside town. The ubiquitous English language school has served as the entry point into Japan for foreigners innumerable. Sometimes loved, sometimes detested by those in their employ, the Eikaiwa must be commended for opening Japan to foreigners and helping the Japanese to integrate more with the world. The English language is infact an intangible commodity that the Japanese purchase in order to use when traveling abroad. The #1 reason that I’ve received about why they learn English is, “So we can communicate with foreigners!”

The Eikaiwa’s detractors would say that it’s just a business as their images of a proper school (as we know in the West) are quickly dashed with each 45 minute lesson and sterile teaching format. However, this business mentality has helped the companies spread from 北海道 to 九州 and given the masses greater access to the English lesson. What other idea has made it so easy for foreigners to come explore and fufill their adventurous desires in a country that otherwise might seem inaccessible. The Eikaiwa has served as a springboard into other careers in Japan as well as an opportunity to study the language, martial arts and even find a suitable husband or wife for many Japan enthusiasts.

We also cannot forget that these schools are a major source of employment for thousands of young Japanese who wish to use their English skills in their first job. If you consider how many of us study foreign languages on a global scale, how many of us actually get to use these langauges in the professional realm? If there had been a Spanish language school modeled after the Eikaiwa in the USA, I might have taken my first job there to increase my contact with native Spanish speakers. Many of the best English speaking Japanese I know either studied abroad, or worked/studied at an Eikaiwa.

As one who loves languages and suffered through many language classes at a ‘traditional’ school, I really wish that there had been this type of business in my town back home. After all my attention span only lasts about 45 minutes and I despise tests in the learning of language. Cheers to the Eikaiwa.

I just got back to my home in Tokyo after a summer trip with students to the States and Canada. Had to pay some bills, go to the post office, do a little shopping, so I walk down the hill towards Gotanda Station. Hey! Wait a minute… The six storey building with the fruit stand in it is gone. But, there is a new hotel half-finished over there across the street. The constant turmoil of demolition and construction can make your own neighborhood new almost overnight. Those six to ten storey buildings just appear or disappear as if city planning is run by an eight year old with ADD and a box of Lego.
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Sanma, which I think means ‘mackerel pike’ in Eigo, is a delicious fish that’s been in season for at least a couple weeks now. You’ve probably seen the TV ads for soy sauce etc. featuring sanma on the grill. I am told there’s a month or two left, and if you’re new to Tokyo or eating fish…you don’t want to miss it. It’s delicious. Served with daikon and soy sauce it’s good AND good for you, which is my favorite combo.

I had it last week at Ootoya (Nihongo only)-: for

Shibuya 109 is probably the most popular fashion complex in Japan. Shibuya 109 building is the symbol of Shibuya district and Japanese girl’s culture. From 13 to 30, girls go there to shop new, hip and not-so-expensive clothes, shoes and et al. New fashion trend is always started from this big tube. Ko-gal, Ganguro-gal, loose socks, big platform boots, surfer fashion, B-kei fashion (hip hop flavored style), hair extension, Samantha Thavasa handbags and etc etc. Only one problem is there is no size variation. Everytime I try something on, I feel my body is too big.
Well, those are popular shops in 109 and my favorite shops list. All Japanese contents, sorry.

* Size availability:
Cloth- Japanese: S-M, US: XS-S, EU:36-38
Shoe- Japanese:22.5cm-24.5cm, US:5-7, EU:35-38)

R&E
Great shoe and sandal.

Esperanza
Mother of big platform shoes.

LB-03
Inspired by Hip Hop/R&B artists like. I go there to get dangling earrings sometimes.

Shoop
Compare to LB-03, Shoop is little bit “reasonable”. More revealing clothes.

Takaraya
inexpensive club clothing and dress. For me, Tanktop and stage clothes place.

Cecil McBee
From office clothing to punk, club or date clothing. Wide selection. The place everybody goes.

Sword Fish
Not for teenagers, for over 20. Cool and trendy. It is becoming popular for ex-Kogals lately.

Navana
Hair extension and lady’s wear.

Peach John
Japanese “Victoria’s Secret”. Wide selection and wide availability for a 109 tenant.

Pinky girl
Barbie fashion. Very girly, very lovely. pink, pink, pink!

Material Girl
Pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki produced. popular, fashionable, cool but expensive! I can’t afford to buy 5900yen tank.

moussy and moussy extreme
I love their jeans! better figure than seven or paper denim&cloth. I know 10000yen is kinda too much for one pair though. still love it.

BACKGROUND:
Nishi-Tachikawa is a part of Tachikawa proper and neighbors Higashi-Nakagami, where I live. Higashi-Nakagami is a part of Akishima. I will use the terms Nishi-Tachikawa and Tachikawa interchangeably. The same goes for Akishima and Higashi-Nakagami. Please try to keep up.

ISSUE:
Higashi-Nakagami and Nishi-Tachikawa are cities on the move and we seem to be developing a bit of a rivalry. You see, Tachikawa has Cinema City and Cinema City Two [Link: Cinema City Theater], which we visit often. With ESPA’s CinePlex announcement, Akishima City seems to be poised to fight with Tachikawa on the cinema front. This rivalry is now spreading to supermarkets. Nishi-Tachikawa has fired the opening savlo.

The first shot was fired on August 30, 2004 when the Nishi-Tachikawa store was opened in front of Nishi-Tachikawa [Links: One :: Two] station with much fanfare. It looked as if everything was on sale. I picked up a couple of “Roll Cakes” for about 100

When I first came to Japan I lived out in Saitama along the Tobu Tojo line somewhere between Shiki and Kawagoe. Out there in the “country” it’s often rare to see an unknown gaijin (since we all taught for Nova) and if you should happen to see one it was custom to make eye contact and give a little head nod. This simple gesture conveyed that we hoped each other was getting along well in a land so different from our own and was a sign of respect. In effect it basically said, “Hey, you look like me and there are not many of us! So I hope your getting along well here and I wish you the best of luck.”

I then moved to Mejiro and have found that approximately 50% of you gaijins out there are inclined to give a head nod when passing a fellow foreigner and the other half make a bold and obvious attemt to NOT make eye contact. This is not by mistake and it should be obvious to us gaijins that upon passing another gaikokujin we have to make a deliberate decision to acknowledge or not acknowledge. It has only recently reached the 50/50 percentage when before I would put those who acknowledged other gaijins at about 65%.

Therefore, I would like to discuss the mindset of those that deliberately look the other way when passing a fellow gaijin. It’s not like they don’t see us since most gaijins stick out like a sore thumb. So is it that they want to try and fit into the society so much that they avoid all contact with other foreigners? Or is it that the number of foreigners are getting larger and passing another gaijin isn’t as rare now as it used to be? Or perhaps it is simply the city mindset where you’re not supposed to be polite to anyone and mind your own business?

As for me I usually pass 1 or 2 gaijins in a day and give the polite head-nod. But then again Mejiro is a nice residential area and not like Roppongi, Azabujuban or Aoyama with a ton of foreigners……..

WWWJDIC is the defacto goto tool for all my Japanese reading and writing needs. As long as you have decent speaking ability, and understand hiragana and katakana WWWJDIC will empower you. Oh, one small caveat is you must be online. Here’s the URL to one of the translation forms:
http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/jwb/wwwjdic?9T
Just copy some Japanese text, paste it into the textarea, hit submit, and you’re good to go.

The tool is not a mere translation engine, but a system that allows us gaijins to read kanjis with the meaning of the character or character combination. Most web based systems out there will translate the text, but the quality is terrible and doesn’t show the yomigana (phonetic readin, basically allows us to pronounce the kanji using hiragana/katakana). I would rather manually try to figure out what the Japanese text translates to. Personally, i think it’s due to grammatical issues.

It’s such a goto tool for me that I’ve got it as a startup tab in my browser, and have mirrors setup. If it’s down and all mirrors down, my Japanese abilities are kaput.