A recent news article in The Wall Street Journal (linked here) made me realize that the Main Stream Media is always seven years behind the real story. As I have a seven-degree above Top Secret job in the T.H.U.M.B inverse skyscraper here in Tokyo, I have access to...
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Comiket in Tokyo – Summer 2012
Dear TJL fans, We are re-publishing our account of last year's Comiket, which has proven to be one of our most popular articles. Hope some of you can make it to this year's show. In the midst of the sweltering summer, the TJL team decided to brave heat, humidity, and...
Tokyo WiFi Options
On my most recent return to Tokyo via Narita airport, I was surprised at the number of Tokyo WiFi options that have become available. Tokyo Wifi Options #1 - FREE WIFI IN NARITA AIRPORT To start, there is free WiFi available at the airport. I logged on using my iPad....
Lesson I: Hiragana ひらがな
Japan’s Manga Future Is Here
Two recent news items, both centered on new developments in Japan, show that the Japanese are working hard to create the future they have dreamed of. The first item concerns a breakthrough in causing hair growth in bald mice. It is documented in this highly technical...
Strange Snacks in Tokyo
Wandering through the conbini in Tokyo, you will find a vast variety of snacks. While most of the snacks are tasty to the western palate (except for the fish and wasabi flavored potato chips), the names can ring strange to the western ear. Here is a very...
Foods in Tokyo: Giving Thanks in Tokyo
Holidays and Foods in Tokyo Wow, time does fly by here in the magic kingdom. It seems like I just moved here, but a second set of holidays are already upon us. The pace of life here is so fast that the days blur by. I have been an American expat for over twenty years,...
Hot and Cold Vending Machines in Tokyo
Last week, Fred came back from a beverage run, muttering to himself, while tossing his can of tea from hand to hand. “You don’t really need to shake those up,” I said. “I’m not shaking it, I can’t hold it. The can is too damned hot....
Using the Kindle in Tokyo, Japan as a “Poor Man’s iPad”
As noted in a previous post, I am using my trusty Kindle in Tokyo, Japan(Amazon Kindle DX 2 - the older version, without Wi-Fi),. I use the built in Whispernet connection only occasionally to view the Amazon store and download books. For most other Kindle in Tokyo...