When I started this blog a year ago, I predicted the category “くだらない Thoughts” (Stupid / Worthless Thoughts) would led the pack in number of posts.
It was close. I had 43 くだらない Thoughts this year (this post being #43), but 71 posts in the catch-all “Japanese” category.  I suppose this means I was [...]

I’ve decided I need a portable field recorder.
I’ve had my eye on Sony’s 24-bit Linear PCM-D1 Audio Recorder ever since a friend in Tokyo picked one up. After hearing a few samples he recorded, I was amazed at the quality. He sent me a sound file of him recording the ambiance of a [...]

There is a new online Japanese music store on the horizon. It’s called HearJapan and has a nifty torii/music note logo (see left). But that’s not all; it also has music I hear.
It’s a bit exclusive and very beta right now, but I’ve been given a coupon code for people to take a [...]

In posting, that is. I was shocked to notice my last post here was on the 20th. It is nigh high into the 27th as I type. However, I do have an excuse.
I’ve made tremendous progress with customizing Drupal—the Content Management Software that will house the brand new TheJapanesePage.com site. [...]

Yumi and I are working on recording her reading Akutagawa Ryuunosuke’s short story Hana (Nose). It is only good for advanced students, but here is what we have so far. (This is only about a fifth of the story) . The text comes from the Public Domain repository at Aozora.

　禅智内供(ぜんちないぐ)の鼻と云えば、池(いけ)の尾(お)で知らない者はない。長さは五六寸あって上 唇(うわくちびる)の上から顋(あご)の下まで下っている。形は元も先も同じように太い。云わば細長い腸詰(ちょうづ)めのような物が、ぶらりと顔のまん 中からぶら下っているのである。
　五十歳を越えた内供は、沙弥(しゃみ)の昔から、内道場供奉(ないどうじょうぐぶ)の職に陞(のぼ)った [...]

I just found out we are down to our last two umeboshi:
Yumi quickly Skyped her mother to let her know of the situation. She will get some of her homemade umeboshi in the mail, but it being December I suspect it won’t arrive for at least two or three weeks.
How will we [...]

Here is a short (very short and not much there) video I took in Orlando last Sunday:

Here is another article I’m working on for the brand new TJP. In order to be authentic, I got to indulge myself with a cup of Jagariko.

My favorite Japanese snack is じゃがりこ (the Salad flavor サラダ味). The name comes from a play on the word for potato—ジャガイモ and a person’s name リカコ（利加子）. The snack [...]

On Sunday, Yumi, Makoto, my parents and I made the three hour trip to Orlando for the ‘07 Japan Festival.
I believe I mentioned this here (or at least at TJP) before, but just in case I didn’t, Sakurada-sensei a Japanese teacher in Orlando told me about the festival last month. I immediately decided we [...]

Here is Makoto enjoying the webcam. He is looking at the video of himself (and papa) on the monitor.

This isn’t quite the same model. For some reason, I couldn’t find it on Amazon, but it is very close. It is extremely handy for taking quick photos of anything near the [...]