Counselors and psychiatrists say Kenji's reclusiveness, known here as "hikikomori," is an illness that exists only in Japan Actually not true. The writer is correct to point out that the condition is not the same as agoraphobia (although the definition differs in Europe) but it exists in ...

Hamilton to cash in on being big in Japan Kosaku Shimada, the head of the Japan Tour, sent a letter of congratulations to the American within a couple of hours of his triumph. He wrote: "I believe he had a hard time in a foreign country but he overcame it by winning four tournaments last year....

Typical British rock press navel stare. What a CROCK. I'm British but I have to agree. The Chris Martin entry is sheer relief that a UK rock act is finally selling in the US after many barren years. I don't think Q quite worked out the difference between power, influence and profile. Interested to ...

Sadly, Anderson comes across as a troubled man. He had an earlier interview with the same journalist (reprinted on a fan site Here ) Gerry Anderson - MBE, father of Supermarionation - has a surprisingly equivocal relationship with the stringed instruments that made him a household name. "It's o...

I'm way off keeping up with telecom tech news but I was curious to see this DoCoMo Will Drop i-mode in Japan In Europe, the i-mode brand is a service, and a harbinger of the post-PC era. DoCoMo and the licensees have a number of reasons to keep the brand alive outside of Japan, not the least of whic...

One man who believes Thunderbirds to be the worst film in the world is Gerry Anderson. Not a happy bunny. Gerry Anderson: Nobody's puppet "It is no exaggeration to say," he announces, with Sisyphean weariness, "that wherever I go, every day of the week, people are saying to me, 'How's...

Good on you for getting in touch with him. It's a bit of a thankless task trying to sketch an industry that changes so quickly. I was reminded, when reading his data about Japan as the second largest music market in the world, that Q Magazine recently put together a list of the "100 Most Powerf...

From Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon" (in which he loves using the word "Nipponese") No one hereabouts is willing to face the fact that they are about to be besieged by Nips. His next words ought to be"Shit then, I'm getting the hell out of here, I'll send you a postcard fr...

Busted. But no harm in trying again

Trying to protect the innocent. Apologies to all for the clumsy effect

TV Tokyo just did a piece on Greek restaurants in Tokyo - the main focus was Spyros which is the newest/trendiest place. But because of the Oympics, it seems that most hotels will be running a "Greek Cooking Special Event" so look out for those. The Hotel Laforet in Shinagawa has one but i...

Hamsters are out of my experience but crustaceans are still very available in game centres in Shinjuku. There is a bar in Kabukicho that give free shots all if a you bring in a live one for cooking.

Condry's paper is a good read. The Chosaq website has a piece which takes issue with a few of his statements. Comments on Ian Condry's paper on music piracy in Japan and the U.S . ...the Japanese record industry asserted already in 2002 (if not earlier) that there is a link between online file swapp...

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/imagedeleted.jpg Todd Hamilton has just won the British Open Golf Championship. He thought about quitting the game but joined the Asian tour and ended up a regular winner on the Japan Tour. 6 Japan Tour wins: 1996 Japan PGA Philanthropy. 1998 Gene ...

Interview in Saturday's FT Lunch with the FT: Noriaki Imai The first time I saw Noriaki Imai was in a hotel room in Osaka in April when I switched on the television to watch the evening news. There, on top of the polished drinks cabinet where the television rested, were the fuzzy images of an 18-yea...

Is any of this merger horseshit going to result in me being able to use my Citibank ATM card at one of their branches on a Saturday? Almost certainly not, Captain. Strategically, the banks still compete with the post office and Citibank is linked to the post office ATM network. [jeez...that felt li...

I know a lot of people who are in a rut in the home country but, because their surroundings are familar, stress doesn`t really surface except at key "marker" moments when life seems to be passing by (30/40th birthdays, weddings etc). Being in another, unfamiliar, country can bring that kin...

AICN.com Trailer link on page HERE The South Korean filmmaking genius, Chan Wook Park, whose OLDBOY recently won the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film Festival is next contributing his astonishing talents to an anthology film that includes his work from Korea, Takashi Miike's brand of genius fr...

Great link, Captain! That's going to save a lot of trawling through Pia.

First week of August is actually a tricky time. Fuji Rock is on the weekend of July 31st and Summer Sonic and the Rock in Japan Festival both follow on the next weekend That makes the intervening days a bit of a quieter spot than usual. Starting Sunday 1st, Shinjuku Loft hosts Pulling Teeth, Cocobat...

What are your dates? If you want to see live acts, it just depends who is up

Ultra - feel free to move this story. I think it fits well with the other one as AK says...

UFJ, Mitsubishi Tokyo eye merger to set up world's largest bank Wednesday, July 14, 2004 at 07:21 JST TOKYO — The UFJ group has decided to enter into merger negotiations with the Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial group, sources familiar with the UFJ decision said Wednesday. The anticipated merger will pro...

Just posted a pic of Abunai-san on the Randon nihonjin pic stickyHere

No connection with Japan at all Five years for man who shot himself in groin (Filed: 13/07/2004) A 28-year-old man who shot himself in the testicles with a sawn-off shotgun has been jailed for five years for possessing a prohibited firearm. Andrew Hatton, prosecuting, said Walker went home for the g...

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/2cb4b286beef099c57eb794ca4629fe1.jpg The earlier thread about katakana reminded me of one of my favourite Japanese names. Your Japanese friends will tell you that "the pronunciation is different" but Abunai Hiroshi will always be Mr Dange...

Didn't spot the article on Son. He is weird but he's a fun act to watch. Just saw this on Seagaia Seagaia operator looking at Y2.2 bil net loss MIYAZAKI — Phoenix Resort KK, the operator of the Seagaia amusement park in Miyazaki Prefecture, probably suffered a net loss of 2.2 billion yen in fiscal 2...

Hajime Chitose has a folk-style voice and hit it big. As does Hitoto Yo who is half Taiwanese. Shang Shang Typhoon are not from Okinawa but specialize in a kind of Okinawan-style cabaret. Famous acts with the Okinawan sound are Nenes and Rinken Band. Or did you mean Amuro Namie or Cocoo for more ma...

Should be there. I've booked a ticket so just need to get into the country

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/88f6b121ecd93b44c54bcf82a1d2c68c.jpg Rachael Yamagata Homepage Rachael Yamagata is being promoted as the "next" Norah Jones or Fiona Apple depending on who you read. Her father is a Japanese lawyer and her mother a German/Italian school p...