Tokyo Photos [10]

Posted on January 30, 2012 by

This may look like just another company logo in need of some spiffing up, but I thought it was pretty appropriate. The company is Tokyo Electric Power Company [TEPCO], the firm managing the Fukushima nuclear power facilities. TEPCO fell out of favor with the Japanese people so fast it made heads spin. They’re being forced to compensate families that were displaced by the disaster last year and could face losses of over $20 billion for the year. Now, it appears that the Japanese government will be taking a 2/3 stake in TEPCO — the world’s fourth-largest power utility — for $15 billion, in what will be the largest non-banking bailout ever. The slogan to the right reads [slightly cut off] “Toward a Society with a Dream.” TEPCO’s dream has faded, just like the sign.

REMIX

Posted in Tokyo Photos | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

University in Perspective

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

I’ve written a lot about Japanese universities, both as an observer and as an enrolled student. During my time at Waseda, my Japanese language skills weren’t quite advanced enough to understand everything that was going on around me, but I was aware of shifts in the Japanese university environment that have drawn attention over recent years. I read two articles this week that raised some issues.

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Snokyo

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

Ladies and gentlemen, a bad few days is always trumped by waking up from a nap at 11pm  and finding that it’s snowing heavily outside.

I know I just posted a photo and promised real content soon, but…come on.

Blurry, fuzzy, low-resolution. Still awesome.

REMIX

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Tokyo Photos [9]

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

I’m sorry to post two photos in a row, and that there’s been such a break in content recently. I’ll be back to posting soon enough. It’s been pretty busy around here, what with school starting up again, the job hunting season ramping up and people visiting over winter break! Back to reality. This shot’s artsy title is “Two Cats Sleeping on a Maserati GranTurismo MC” and it’s of two cats sleeping on a Maserati GranTurism MC. This car — one of my favorites out there — has been next door for months and I only now just noticed it. The cats like it too.

REMIX

 

Posted in Tokyo Photos | Leave a comment

Tokyo Photos [8]

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

So, back in November, a old building next to my apartment building became a new parking lot. This month, an old parking lot next to my building is becoming a new apartment building. What a way to run a railroad, huh? Anyway, they broke ground this morning, shattering what was actually a really nice sleep. Here’s the picture from the top of my stairs after about an hour of work. I always go on about how fast construction happens in Tokyo — let’s put it to the test in real time. I’ll be posting shots of the progress. Maybe I can show them to my new neighbors…who I’m sure I’ll never meet.

REMIX

Posted in Tokyo Photos | Leave a comment

The Myth of The Myth of Japan’s Failure

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

Finally, a ray of hope. The New York Times ran an opinion piece on January 6th, called “The Myth of Japan’s Failure”. It examines the Japanese economy and demonstrates that the West’s image of Japan may not be entirely accurate, and that the so-called “Lost Years” following Japan’s market crash of 1990 should be viewed more favorably. A lot of the points raised in the piece are arguments I’ve made myself over the years, so I was glad to see it near the top of the Times’ “Most Emailed” list. However, as much as it pleased me to see this article, someone had some serious problems with it. Me.

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments

Shaken, Not Stirred

Posted on January 1, 2012 by

Well, Japan gets another earthquake for the New Year. Early AP reports say it was a magnitude 7.0 quake that struck under the ocean near the Izu Islands, about 300 miles SSW of Tokyo. We definitely felt it here, though. Had to mop up my coffee after it spilled everywhere.

As of yet, there are no reports of tsunami, casualties or injuries anywhere, but it’s still early. Here’s hoping everything stays normal, and wishing you all a happy New Year.

REMIX

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Ties That Bind

Posted on December 26, 2011 by

Merry Christmas! The end of 2011 is fast approaching and that can mean a great many things. But the focus of today’s post is the kanji of the year.

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Tokyo Photos [7]

Posted on December 20, 2011 by

I would be remiss not to show you all some of the less lovely sides of Tokyo. This shot was taken on the Yamanote [Shinagawa-bound] platform in Shibuya at around 10:36 pm. I was standing next to this guy for about 3 minutes and he never moved a muscle, although he’d thrown up at some point. 10:30 and wasted. Such is salary man life.

REMIX

PS – Happy birthday, Mom!

Posted in Tokyo Photos | 2 Comments

New Tsunami Footage

Posted on December 12, 2011 by

To some, the earthquake and tsunami of this past March may be a fading memory. Even in Tokyo, where radiation exposure, food supplies and power outages were major concerns in the weeks following the disaster, many have returned to live as usual. But the people of Tohoku, the devastated region of Northern Japan, are certainly still feeling the effects of the quake today — among them is one man who recounted the events of 3/11 after the dashboard video from his car was recovered. Via autoblog.com and ITN News, footage of the tsunami, with the man’s [translated] interview:

This guy’s got guts. But many others weren’t as lucky.

REMIX

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment