Life in Japan

It's been a really long time since I've updated my blog. Sorry about that for all of those who are readers. I suppose I've been focusing my "content creation" juices towards my YouTube Channel. I've been having a lot of fun making videos about life in Japan and meeting other Japan-based video bloggers.

Things are going well for me in Japan. The initial few weeks were a little on the bumpy side, but I'm really enjoying myself here. Kobe is a great city and I'm constantly finding new little restaurants, cafes and cool places to shop. Of course, life here is never boring! It's always great to carry a camera in your pocket every time you leave the house since you'll always see something interesting, weird or cool! That is some advice I'll give to anyone living in Korea, Japan, China, etc. Always have a digital camera in your pocket. Especially one with video/audio capabilities, because you're almost guaranteed to encounter something strange everywhere you go.

Here's something I came across recently. A glimpse into the slower side of life in Japan. Normally, when you see documentaries about living here or YouTuber blogs, it's about the fast-paced life in places like Tokyo and Osaka. This is a mini-documentary about an Australian who is a rice farmer in rural Japan (Shikoku).

Japan: The Slow Life




The best Japanese food you won’t easily find outside of Japan

Forbes Magazine has an article about the “Best Japanese Foods You Can’t Get At Home.” The full list of foods is in photo slideshow form, and starts with natto, a food that many foreigners apparently do not like.


Japanese underdog, hot to reclaim NY gluttony title, gets 2 fewer minutes
Mainichi
NEW YORK (AP) -- He's suddenly the hot dog underdog.

World renowned competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi of Japan is aiming to chomp his way back to the top of Friday's annual Fourth of July hot dog eating competition on Coney Island after a disappointing three-dog loss last year shattered his six-year winning streak.

And this year it could be even harder -- organizers said two full minutes would be shaved from regulation time after it was recently revealed that the original competition in 1916 was just 10 minutes long, instead of the 12-minute limit used in more recent years.Read More...


Tommy Lee Jones in Japan??

A BusanKevin vid...

"The Office"....Japanese version!

We all know that the hit American television show "The Office" actually began as a British show. BUT....did you know that, the British version was actually inspired by a Japanese "Office"? hehe...check out this SNL skit!

The Japanese Office

Kobe Matusri...pics and vids....

Well...as I mentioned in my previous post, I went to the Kobe Matsuri. It was a cool time. It wasn't the "traditional" matsuri many people may think of with folks running around carrying giant shrines and screaming "bonzai." It was more of an international themed festival with a wide variety of acts and show performing.







Here is a video I put together for my Youtube Channel about the Kobe Matsuri.

It was a beautiful and sunny day, but pretty damn hot. After a few hours of checkin stuff out in the sun, I was spent! See the original...

This was my first festival in Japan so Idefinately thought it was very cool. I'll be off to the Himeji Matsuri in a few weekends. Apparently it will be a more "pure" matsuri. It will be much more traditional without all of the corporate sponsorship and "international" flare.

Kobe Matsuri and other things

Again, it's been awhile since I've updated and a great big ol' apology for that. I've just been busy. Getting adjusted to life here in Japan hasn't been as easy as I expected, but things are certainly turning around. There were a few bumps here and there, but no most things are organized.

Golden Week came and went. It was nice to have the time off between school in Canada and work in Japan, but I was really starting to get bored. I've been meeting more people and getting out to do more and more things.

Yesterday Mai and I went to Mt. Rokko. We took a cable car to the top and had lunch at a "Swiss-themed" botanical garden. Swiss-themed you might ask?? Well stop asking! One thing I learned years ago while living in Asia was to stop asking the question; "Why?"

This is me checking out the "Swiss Wonderland" in the middle of Japan!Original here....


Today Mai and I went downtown in Kobe and checked out the Kobe Matsuri. It was the 38th year for the Kobe city festival and I had a great time. It was a sunny day and I had the chance to hear some great music. The traditional drummers from Okinawa were definately the coolest thing for me. I'll post some Kobe Matsuri pictures and video later on.

To everyone in Ottawa...hope everything is great. Looks like summer is around the corner. Wish I was there for Ottawa Race Weekend!!! For everyone in Busan and Seoul....keep rockin!