From browsing the racks of bookstores in Japan I was aware of the fact that he was well-known, but I had only a dim understanding of his popularity. I remember reading A Slow Boat to China in my Japanese class. It was one of the first things besides manga that I read in Japanese and understood well enough to enjoy. It was a nice, succinct little ( Read more... )

I've always wanted to live in Osaka. In addition to having a bunch of friends there, I feel like the size is just about right. It's big enough to have all of the comforts and distractions of a major city without being so large that it's overwhelming or dull. Also, it's very easy to go to Kobe and Kyoto, two other large cities in Kansai that each ( Read more... )

I was supposed to leave for Tokyo tomorrow. Having long been physically and mentally ready to leave, I was held up only by various bits of foul paperwork. The process is not that complicated, but it does take a fair amount of time. Other delays with the documents that I needed to begin held me back further, but I had successfully endured them and ( Read more... )

The job offer that I've been waiting for finally came in the mail today. While it was in no way assured, the unreality of getting something so close to my expectations seemed almost anticlimactic. Come next year, I'll be starting a full-time, real job with Deutsche Bank in Japan. I'm pretty fucking ecstatic but I almost can't convey it - not only ( Read more... )

Last week I went out to a club for the first time in a while, and probably the first time in America. After some of my experiences in Japan I was doubtful if I'd ever feel like going to one again, but this time turned out to be worth it because I got in free and knew a lot of the people who went there. And the beer was even fairly cheap ( Read more... )

A few weeks ago I ended up going to the Technical Career Forum in LA. I say ended up because I really did not decide to go for sure until about two weeks before it started, which didn't give me nearly enough time to prepare. Since it's a bunch of Japanese companies looking for Japanese people who have studied in the US, I wasn't sure what to expect ( Read more... )

Okay, here's how it's going to go. Tomorrow I'm going to return to East Lansing for the first time in about a year and a half. I'm hoping to catch up with anyone and everyone that I haven't seen since my last trip to Japan. You can find me at 427 Grove Street, Apartment #5 between 5 and 6 PM on Saturday (or later). (I hear that it's behind Harper's ( Read more... )

Last week I corrupted a woman's mind. It wasn't intentional, but the opportunity provided itself and I took it without thinking. At the time it seemed like a small thing, and I certainly didn't give it much thought. We could say that she was partly to blame for believing everything I say, but that doesn't take much of the responsibility from me ( Read more... )

I just wanted to make a post from one of these internet / phone terminals at the airport. See you in Japan in about 3 hours.

Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, is located on an island. By some coincidence that I don't put too much importance in, so is Kansai International Airport, near Osaka. Though my flight only lasted an hour and a half, I've spent the better part of the day in transit of some form ( Read more... )